The driver of a bus that veered into a ditch killing 18 passengers last month fell asleep at the wheel, a probe has found. 

Aminul Hossain was arrested by highway police on Monday. A criminal case was filed against him.

At least 28 others were injured when the bus heading for Panchagarh from Dhaka ploughed into a tree before coming to a rest in a ditch near Gaibandha's Palashbari around 4:00am on June 23.

The probe also found faults with the bus's body work and recommended legal actions against Aminul and the owner of the vehicle, Shishir Kumar Roy, chief of an 11-member committee that investigated the crash, told The Daily Star yesterday.

The body work of the bus, owned by Alam Enterprise, was done in a local workshop.

As the the body was made of very low quality metal, its upper part crumpled totally after it hit the tree, he added.

The vehicle was not fit to ply the highways, Shishir, also an additional secretary (estate) of Road Transport and Highway Division (RTHD), said.

The driving licence of Aminul was counterfeit and the fitness certificate of the vehicle expired, he added.

The probe committee submitted its report to the secretary of the RTHD on Monday with 22 recommendations.

In the fatal crash, nine people were killed on the spot while seven others died on the way to hospitals. Two more died of their wounds at Rangpur Medical College Hospital.

The RTHD on June 24 formed the probe committee and asked it to submit the report in seven working days.

The committee comprises Gaibandha deputy commissioner, deputy inspector general of police (Rangpur), representatives of BRTA , RTHD, fire service, highway police, transport owners and workers.

Shishir said they have visited the scene of the crash on June 26 and talked with passengers and witnesses.

“We have found that the driver fell asleep at the wheel, causing the crash,” he said.

A man who sat behind driver Aminul told the committee members that he saw the driver keep dozing off after leaving a highway restaurant in Sirajganj.

He also said that he had repeatedly asked the driver to be careful.

“As the driver ignored the warnings, he [the passenger] went to rear end of the bus,” Shishir said.

He also observed that some of the causalities could have been averted if the upper portion of the bus didn't crumple totally.

The official added that the committee recommended having backup drivers in vehicles on long-distance routes, restricting drivers to a maximum of five hours at the wheel at a stretch, making it mandatory for owners to check a driver's licence before recruiting, examining the physical and mental condition of the driver before every long journey, and keeping unfit vehicles off the roads.

The country saw a series of fatal road crashes recently. It prompted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to issue several directives on June 25 to prevent accidents and casualties.

At least 2,471 people were killed and 5,975 injured in 2,353 crashes across the country in the last six months, according to National Committee to Protect Shipping, Roads and Railways.

It also said 248 people were killed and 717 injured in 211 crashes in 13 days (between June 12 and June 24) during the Eid holidays this year.