Man killed in hit-and-run

A man was run over and killed by an SUV near Mohakhali flyover in the capital on Tuesday night.

Witnesses told reporters that the luxury vehicle was driven by a lawmaker's son Shabab Chowdhury, who did not stop after hitting the man.

While Shabab could not be reached for comment, his mother Kamrun Nahar Shiuli told The Daily Star that he was not involved in the incident.

Police said victim Selim Bapary, 45, who was a professional driver, appeared to be crossing the road around 10:00pm when he was hit.

A family member of the victim, however, told this correspondent that he was offered money to settle the matter by a number of persons claiming to represent the lawmaker's family.

Syed Mamun Mostafa, assistant commissioner (Mirpur zone) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, said the vehicle had the registration number Dhaka Metro Gha 13-7655.

BRTA officials said it was registered to Kamrun Nahar Shiuli, wife of lawmaker Mohammad Ekramul Karim Chowdhury of Noakhali-4 constituency.

Police are trying to find out who was driving the vehicle during the accident, the officer said.

Witnesses said Shabab sped away from the scene but the registration number plate, detached on impact, was found on the road.

A motorcyclist claimed that he chased Shabab as he was speeding away from Mohakhali. Soon another car joined the chase that ended on Manik Mia Avenue near Jatiya Sangsad.

The man who chased Shabab with his car told The Daily Star, “That car entered the MP hostel compound and I followed him with my car. A young man came out of the car.  He was identified as Shabab by the people present there.

“Shabab told us that his car was hit by a bus and he did not know whether anyone was killed. As an unpleasant situation arose there, I come out of the MP hostel, called 999 and informed the police about the incident,” he said, preferring anonymity.

The man said he had been receiving threats over the phone since he informed the police about Shabab's involvement. 

The motorcyclist, who was also present on the MP hostel premises, told a private television channel that the lawmaker's son and several other men assaulted him and asked him to keep mum. 

A security guard of the MP hostel told The Daily Star that he saw Shabab and some unknown persons engaged in an altercation around 11:00pm on Tuesday night, and the windshield of his car was damaged. “I heard that the lawmaker's son was involved in an accident.” 

The security guard said the lawmaker has a flat in building number-5 but his family lived in Dhanmondi.

Contacted, Shabab's mother Kamrun Nahar Sheuli said, “We have drivers. Why would my son drive the car?”

Selim's sudden death has pushed the family into grave uncertainty as he was the breadwinner.

“After my father's death, the whole family's responsibility falls on my shoulder, as my brother is too young. How can I support the family?” Selim's daughter Sadia Akhter told reporters yesterday.

The family filed a case with Kafrul Police Station yesterday accusing unknown persons.