The High Court yesterday directed Green Line Paribahan to pay Tk 50 lakh to Russel Sarker, who lost his left leg after a bus of the company ran him over in April last year.

The money will have to be paid to Russel in two weeks as compensation and for his treatment purposes, the court said.

The bench of Justice FRM Nazmul Ahasan and Justice KM Kamrul Kader passed the order while hearing a writ petition filed by a Supreme Court lawyer seeking adequate compensation for Russel.

The bench also fixed March 31 for further hearing on this issue, and asked Green Line Paribahan to submit a report on the progress of complying with the directive before it by this time.

Russel, 26, a car driver of a power company, lost his leg from below the knee after he was knocked down by the bus near Mayor Hanif Flyover at the capital's Dholaipar on April 4 last year. The bus driver had an altercation with him and ran Russel over as he chased down the bus for rear-ending his car.

Russel was first taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital with a severed leg, and transferred to Square Hospitals and later to Apollo Hospitals.

Following the same writ petition, the HC on May 14 last year issued a rule asking the authorities concerned of Green Line Paribahan and the government to explain why they would not be ordered to pay Tk 1 crore compensation to Russel.

In the rule, the court asked the government authorities to show cause as to why they should not be directed to strictly enforce relevant laws and rules for safe movement of road users.

The court also had asked the authorities to explain why they should not be ordered to formulate a new law to prevent reckless driving and road accidents in future. The HC issued the rule after Supreme Court lawyer Umme Kulsum Smrity, on May 13, filed the writ petition seeking necessary order on the respondents to compensate Russel for his damaged leg and to stop reckless driving.