Transport leaders, owner, driver sued over Natore road crash

A case has been filed against seven people including transport leaders, owner and driver in connection with yesterday’s road accident in Natore’s Baraigram upazila which left 15 people dead and 20 injured.

The accused are Banpara Human Hauler (Leguna) Owners Association President Jabed Hossain, its secretary Jakir Hossain, Leguna owner Shahadat Hossain, unidentified owner and driver of the bus, our Natore correspondent reports quoting police. 

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No lessons learned

The case document also includes the names of Leguna driver Rahim and helper Raja who died in the accident.

Yousuf Miah, assistant sub-inspector of Banpara Highway Police Station, filed the case with Lalpur Police Station last night under section 279, 337, 338 (Ka), 304 (Kha), 427 and 109 of the Penal Code, 1860, said sub-inspector of Banpara Highway Police Station Tarikul Islam, aslo investigation officer of the case.

At least 15 people, including five members of two families, were killed and 20 others injured as a bus collided head-on with a human haulier on Natore-Pabna highway in Baraigram upazila of Natore yesterday.

Police said all the dead were passengers of the human hauler, locally known as Leguna which is banned from plying on highways.

The accident took place around 3:45pm when the Rangpur-bound bus of Challenger Paribahan rammed the front of the Pabna-bound Laguna on the highway in Kadamchhilan Clickmor area.

Meanwhile, police identified another deceased as Abu Raihan, 50, son of late Alim Uddin of Ullapara in Sirajganj. With this, police confirmed the identities of 14 deceased out of 15.

Besides, the bodies of all the 14 victims have been handed over to the families for burial while the rest body was provided to local Anjuman Mufidul Islam, a charitable organisation that buries unclaimed bodies, today, said the IO.

Tarikul said, both the vehicles -- bus and Leguna -- had no fitness certificates.

Habibur Rahman, an injured passenger of the human hauler, told our correspondent today that the vehicle had seat capacity of 10-12 passengers but it was carrying at least 22 people on the fatal day.

The accident took place as the human hauler was plying on high speed on the highway amid rain, said the passenger.

Habibur also blamed it to the under-aged driver of Leguna. He claimed that the driver was only 15 years.