BRTC seeks stay on Tk 50 lakh compensation

Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) yesterday filed an appeal with the Supreme Court seeking a stay on the High Court order that directed it to pay Tk 50 lakh to the family of Rajib Hossain, who lost his right hand in a road accident last month, and later died.

The SC chamber judge may hear the leave to appeal petition on May 13, BRTC lawyer Barrister Muniruzzaman said.

“It was not assessed who is responsible to what extent in the accident,” he told reporters regarding the ground of the petition.

Following a writ petition, the HC on May 8 ordered the owners of two buses -- BRTC and Sajan Paribahan -- to pay Tk 1 crore to the family of Rajib Hossain.

The bus owners have been asked to initially pay Tk 50 lakh within a month, to an account to be jointly opened under the names of Rajib's aunt Jahanara Begum, and their relative Omar Faruk, at Sonali Bank's Motijheel branch.

The HC also directed the bus owners to submit a report after complying with the order to this court by June 25. The court said it would fix the next date for paying the remaining Tk 50 lakh after receiving the compliance report.

Yesterday, BRTC submitted the leave to appeal petition to the apex court seeking the stay on the portion of the HC order with respect to BRTC so that it need not to pay Tk 50 lakh to Rajib's family.

After two weeks in coma, Rajib, a third-year student of Government Titumir College, died at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) on April 17.

Rajib lost his right hand after it got stuck between two speeding buses that were trying to overtake each other in Bangla Motor area in Dhaka on April 3.

Profusely bleeding, he was taken to Samorita Hospital in Panthapath. He was at the post-operative Intensive Care Unit (ICU) on the day of the accident.