HC asks for authorities' explanation on compensation for road crash victim

The High Court today issued a rule asking the authorities concerned to explain in four weeks why they should not be directed to give Tk 1.5 crore in compensation to Nurul Amin Chowdhury, who lost his right leg in a road accident in Dhaka last month.

The court also ordered the secretary to Road Transport and Bridges Ministry to form an expert committee to assess the responsibility of the incident and the compensation and submit a report in this regard before this court in 30 days.

Secretaries to the ministries of Home Affairs and Roads and Highways, inspector general of police, chairman of Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), deputy commissioner of Gulshan Zone of DMP, deputy commissioner of North Division (Traffic) of DMP, officer-in-charge of Banani Police Station, traffic police sergeant Md Mansur and bus (Dhaka Metro-B-113083) owner Md Nasirudin have been made respondents to the rule.    

The bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Shahidul Karim came up with the rule and order following a writ petition filed by Amnesty Bengal, a rights organisation, seeking necessary order.

According to the writ petition, the right leg of publication trader Nurul Amin Chowdhury, 56, was reportedly damaged after a bus operating on route 6 in Dhaka ran over the leg at Mohakhali area in the capital on May 17.

He was admitted to the National Institute of Traumatology & Orthopaedic Rehabilitation (Nitor) in Dhaka for treatment and later taken to a private hospital where the doctors said the damaged leg had to be amputated.

Advocate Dewan MA Obayeed Hossain appeared for the petitioner.