Give 2 victims' families Tk 5 lakh each

The High Court yesterday directed Jabal-e-Noor Paribahan to pay Tk 5 lakh to each of the families of two students who were killed in Sunday's crash on Airport Road. 

The court gave the company seven days to pay the money.

Abdul Karim alias Rajib Uddin Rajib, 18, and Dia Khanam Mim, 17, who were students of Shaheed Ramiz Uddin Cantonment College, got run over and killed by a bus of the transport company on Sunday.

Nine other students of the college were injured when the bus ploughed into a crowd waiting to board a bus at Kurmitola to go home.

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Yesterday, in response to a writ petition, the HC ordered Jabal-e-Noor Paribahan to bear the expenses for treatment of the injured.

The court asked the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) to ensure its directives are followed.

The HC also directed the head of Accident Research Institute of Bangladesh University of Technology and Engineering to immediately form an expert committee to identify those responsible for the crash and assess the total compensation that should be given to the victims' families.

The expert committee has been asked to submit its assessment report to the HC in two months after receiving the order, writ petitioner Ruhul Quddus Kazal told The Daily Star.

The court ordered the BRTA chairman and the additional commissioner (traffic) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) to assist the expert committee to do its task.

An HC bench also issued a rule asking the respondents to explain in four weeks why a directive should not be issued on the owner of Jabal-e-Noor Paribahan to give Tk 2 crore as compensation to each of the families of the two students killed on Sunday.

In the rule, the court also asked the respondents to show causes why they should not be ordered to ensure safety and security of the passengers using public transport by controlling reckless driving and strictly enforcing traffic rules.

Home secretary, road transport and bridges secretary, inspector general of police, DMP commissioner, DMP additional commissioner (traffic), the BRTA and Jabal-e-Noor Paribahan are the respondents to the rule.

The bench of Justice JBM Hassan and Justice Khairul Alam came up with the order and rule after hearing the writ petition filed by Supreme Court lawyer Ruhul Quddus.

Earlier in the day, the lawyer submitted the petition as public interest litigation before the HC. 

On May 8, the HC, following another writ filed by Ruhul Quddus, had ordered the owners of two buses -- BRTC and Shajan Paribahan -- to pay Tk 1 crore to the family of Government Titumir College student Rajib Hossain, who lost his right hand in an accident and later died of the injuries.

But, the owners did not pay the compensation following a stay order from the SC.

Following two separate petitions filed by Bangladesh Road and Transport Corporation (BRTC) and Sajan Paribahan, the court on May 22 stayed the HC order and said an independent committee would submit the assessment report to the HC and then the HC will pass an order on compensation.

The HC on May 30 formed a three-member committee led by Prof Mowazzem Hossain, director of Accident and Research Institute of Buet, to assess the liabilities and compensation issues.

The committee is working, said Ruhul Quddus, adding that the HC was set to pass an order tomorrow on the issue.