Two drivers and a helper of two buses of Jabal-e-Noor Paribahan have been sentenced to life term imprisonment over a road accident that killed students of Shaheed Ramiz Uddin Cantonment College in Dhaka last year.
Judge KM Emrul Kayesh of Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court delivered the verdict in presence of two convicts -- drivers Masum Billah and Zobair Hossain Sumon. Another convict Kazi Asad, helper of one of the two buses, was on the run.
The court also fined them Tk 50,000 each. In default of the fine, they will have to suffer six months more in jail.
Besides, the court acquitted bus owner Jahangir Alam and another helper Enayet Hossain in the case.
On July 29, two students of Shaheed Ramiz Uddin Cantonment College -- Abdul Karim Rajib, 18, and Dia Khanam Mim, 17 -- were run over and killed while nine others were injured during a mad race between two buses of Jabal-e-Noor Paribahan, parking an unrecorded firestorm of protest across the country.
Victim Dia’s father Jahangir Alam Fakir filed a case with Cantonment Police Station in connection with the killing on the same day.
Drivers, helpers and owners of two Jabal-e-Noor Paribahan buses were made accused in the case.
On November 14, the court had set the date of delivering the verdict on completion of placing arguments from the prosecution and defence.
Meanwhile, the High Court stayed the trial proceedings against another bus owner Shahdat Hossain, now on bail, on November 7 last year.
On September 6 last year, Inspector Kazi Shariful Islam of Detective Branch of police submitted charge-sheet to the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court in Dhaka against the accused.
The Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court of Dhaka framed charges against them on October 25 and the trial began on November 1.
Of 41 witnesses, 37 gave their testimonies before Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court in the case.
