Compensation for UODA student Runi demanded

Fellow students of Runi Akhter, whose right leg was smashed against pavement by a bus in Farmgate area a week earlier, have demanded compensation from the bus owner and driver for her treatment.

To press home the demand, around 50 students of University of Development Alternative (UODA), where Runi is studying MBA, formed a human chain in front of the campus in the capital's Dhanmondi yesterday noon.

Carrying different banners and placards, they also demanded that the perpetrators be brought to justice immediately. The students further sought for safety on the roads.

Runi, 27, had been working at Rangs Properties in the capital's Tejgaon to support her education. The horrific incident took place at Farmgate around 9:00am on Wednesday when she was about to take another bus to go to her workplace.

She was about to complete her MBA within a month, said her classmate Pritom Dey.

“She struggled a lot to achieve the degree in pursuit of her future dream,” said Pritom, demanding due compensation and exemplary punishment for the culprits.

After the incident, Runi was rushed to the National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation (Nitor). Doctors performed a surgery on the leg. Later, she was admitted to a private hospital in Kalyanpur.

Police seized the bus and arrested the driver after the accident. A case was also filed in this connection.

Her father Mohammad Rafique, a contractor, yesterday said over Tk 1.5 lakh had already been spent for his daughter's treatment. The majority of the amount was provided by her office. He said more money will be required to continue the treatment.

Rafique said his daughter had been supporting the family with her income, as his earning declined sharply in recent months. The sudden accident has put the family into trouble, he told The Daily Star over the phone.