SC upholds HC's compensation order

The Supreme Court yesterday upheld a High Court order that directed Jabal-e-Noor Paribahan to pay Tk 5 lakh to each of the families of two students who were killed in the road crash on Airport Road in Dhaka on July 29.

Abdul Karim alias Rajib Uddin Rajib, 18, and Dia Khanam Mim, 17, who were students of Shaheed Ramiz Uddin Cantonment College, were run over and killed by a bus of the transport company on July 29.

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

Yesterday, chamber judge of the Appellate Division of the SC, Justice Hasan Foez Siddique, passed “no order” on a petition filed by Jabal-e-Noor Paribahan seeking a stay on the HC order.

Following a writ petition filed by Barrister Md Ruhul Quddus Kazal, an SC lawyer, the HC on July 31 ordered Jabal-e-Noor Paribahan to pay Tk 5 lakh to each of the families of Rajib and Dia in seven days and to bear the expenses for treatment of the injured.

The HC also issued a rule asking the authorities concerned to explain 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 who were killed.

After the SC's chamber judge passed the order yesterday, Barrister Ruhul Quddus Kazal told The Daily Star that the HC order will remain in force following the SC order and therefore, Jabal-e-Noor Paribahan must pay Tk 5 lakh to each of the families of Rajib and Dia.

Advocate Pankaj Kumar Kundu appeared for Jabal-e-Noor Paribahan.

BUS OWNER'S CONFESSION

Meanwhile yesterday, Shahadat Hossain, owner of Jabal-e-Noor Paribahan, confessed to a magistrate that he was gravely wrong to not scrutinise the license of the driver who ran his bus over the students.     

Metropolitan Magistrate Golam Nabi recorded the statement at his chamber for over three hours, after Kazi Shariful Islam, inspector of Detective Branch of police, produced Shahadat before the court.

In his statement, Shahadat told the magistrate that he appointed the driver Masum Billah in good faith at the recommendation of Bus Owners Samity, but after the accident he learnt that Masum was not qualified to drive a heavy vehicle.