Toll plaza tragedy: Driver had no license, vehicle was without fitness certificate, says RAB
Md Nurunnabi was held by RAB-10 from the Siddhirganj area of Narayanganj during a drive last night
Only a day after the devastating accident at the Dhaleshwari toll plaza that killed six people, the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has revealed that neither did the detained bus driver have a valid license, nor did the vehicle have a fitness certificate.
Md Nurunnabi was held by RAB-10 from the Siddhirganj area of Narayanganj during a drive last night, a statement issued by the force's legal and media wing said today (28 December).
Confirming the matter, Senior Assistant Superintendent of Police Tapas Karmakar of RAB-10 told The Business Standard, "Nurunnabi, who has been driving buses, trucks, and pickups for the past 10 years, has had no valid driving licence for the last two years."
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Bus driver claims he was not intoxicated or under the influence of drugs at the time
He also said the Bepari Paribahan bus, which runs on the Dhaka-Kuakata route, has no fitness certificate either.
The driver also claimed he tried to slow down and stop the bus as it was approaching the toll plaza, but the brakes did not work, said the RAB official.
The incident took place yesterday after a bus crushed a car, ran over a motorcycle and rear-ended a microbus at the Dhaleshwari toll plaza, on the Dhaka-Mawa expressway, in Keraniganj.
Asked whether the driver was intoxicated when he was driving the bus, Tapas said Nurunnabi admitted to occasionally drinking or smoking marijuana but claimed he was not under the influence of drugs at the time.
"Highway police may have detained another person, but we can't confirm that yet," he also said.
However, highway police's Gazipur region Additional Deputy Inspector General AKM Akhtaruzzaman Bosunia said two people were detained but he did not say when they were taken into custody.
"They are being interrogated right now. It is suspected that the bus was out of control, but we'll be able to determine the reason after investigating," he said.
"We learned that the bus had two staff at the time of the incident and the driver's name is Nurunnabi. Two people have been detained in a joint drive by highway police and RAB. Their identities are being verified now. Details will be shared after verification," said the official.
Meanwhile, no case was filed over the incident until this afternoon, Hashara highway police station Officer-in-Charge Abdul Quader Jilani told The Business Standard.
He said the bus was still at their station under Munshiganj's Sreenagar. "We are investigating why the incident occurred."
"The victims' family may file a case. We'll confirm when it's registered. The matter is under process," he said.
Akhtaruzzaman added, "Case will be filed not just against the bus driver but everyone responsible for the incident."
The incident occurred at 11:06am yesterday. CCTV camera footage showed the Bepari Paribahan bus struck the car first, crushing it entirely. The bus then rear-ended the microbus and ran over the motorcycle, crushing it as well.
Three victims, including a child, were killed on the spot. The others succumbed to their injuries while being transported to Dhaka for treatment and at the hospital.
The four family members who perished in the car were identified as Amena Aktar, 40; her daughters Israt Jahan, 24, and Riha Moni, 11; and her two-year-old grandson Aiyaj.
Another child, Abdullah, 7, and his mother Reshma Aktar, 26, who were on the motorcycle, also lost their lives.
Reshma's husband Sumon Mia, 42, who was driving the motorcycle, was rushed to the National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation (Pongu Hospital) in Dhaka with critical injuries.
The other injured who are also undergoing treatment at hospitals are the car's owner Nur Alam, his wife Anamika, sister Nadia Aktar, and the car's driver Habibur Rahman.
The bus was impounded afterwards but its driver and other staff managed to flee.
Soon after the incident, the CCTV footage went viral on social media, sparking mixed reactions.
Some netizens speculated that the incident could be deliberate, citing the bus's unusual speed and movement, while others questioned the possibility of mechanical failure. All, however, have agreed that a thorough investigation is a must and exemplary punishment should be given to the people responsible.
