A legal notice has been issued demanding Tk1 crore in compensation for each family of the victims killed in a bus accident at the toll plaza on the Dhaka-Mawa Highway.
The notice names the Chairman of the Road Transport Authority and the Additional Inspector General of Highway Police as defendants.
The notice, sent by Supreme Court lawyer Barrister Mohammad Humayun Kabir Pallab on behalf of the Law and Life Foundation Trust, follows reports in the media detailing the tragic incident.
The notice states that on December 27, a bus belonging to Bepari Paribahan suddenly hit stationary vehicles at the toll plaza on the Dhaka-Mawa Expressway, killing six people. According to Article 32 of the Constitution, the right to life is a fundamental human right. It argues that the negligence of the bus owner, driver, Bangladesh Road Transport Authority and Highway Police led to the tragic accident and subsequent deaths.
The notice highlights that preliminary investigations revealed the Bepari Paribahan bus lacked a valid fitness certificate. Additionally, the driver’s license had expired long ago, and the driver admitted to using cannabis. Therefore, it is evident that the severe negligence of the authorities responsible for issuing the bus's fitness certificate and the driver’s license contributed to the deaths of the six individuals.
The Road Transport Authority should have canceled the registration of the bus immediately after the expiration of its fitness certificate and informed relevant parties. Similarly, the Highway Police were responsible for checking the fitness of the bus and verifying the validity of the driver’s license.
On the other hand, the bus owner acted illegally and negligently by allowing an unfit bus to operate and employing a driver without a valid license. The notice claims that the combined negligence of all parties led to this fatal accident, which claimed six lives. It emphasizes that all concerned parties had a duty to take necessary measures to prevent such unfortunate incidents.
From the published media reports, it is evident that gross negligence by the parties concerned caused the accident, depriving the deceased individuals of their fundamental rights and leaving their families permanently deprived. Hence, each family is entitled to Tk1 crore as compensation. The notice further recommends creating a list of all unfit vehicles and taking legal action against them to prevent such incidents in the future.
The recipients of the notice have been requested to report the progress of actions taken within five days. The notice also warns that if necessary steps are not taken to provide compensation, further legal actions will follow.