Court accepts homicide charges against 6

A Dhaka court yesterday accepted charges of culpable homicide against the owners, drivers and assistants of two Jabal-E-Noor Paribahan buses that allegedly raced each other moments before one of them ploughed into a crowd killing two college students in the capital's Kurmitola on July 29.

After scrutinising the case dockets and other relevant documents, Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Md Kaisarul Islam accepted the charge sheet, and issued arrest warrants against two accused -- Kazi Asad and Jahangir Alam -- as they were shown fugitives in the charge sheet.

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They directed officer-in-charge of Cantonment Police Station to submit a report by October 1 on execution of the arrest warrants.

Earlier on September 6, Inspector Kazi Shariful Islam of detective branch (DB) of police submitted the charge sheet to the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's court in Dhaka against the six.

The six charged by police are bus drivers Masum Billah and Zobair Hossain Sumon, their assistants Enayet Hossain and Kazi Asad, and bus owners Shahadat Hossain and Jahangir Alam.

Of the rest of the accused, Masum, Sumon and Shahadat gave statements before magistrates admitting their guilt.

The deaths of Abdul Karim Rajib, 18, and Dia Khanam Mim, 17, in the accident triggered nationwide student protests for safe roads.

Dia's father Jahangir Alam filed the case with Cantonment Police Station.

Following the widespread student protests, the government and transport owners and workers took several measures to improve road safety.