A Dhaka court on Wednesday granted police four days to interrogate two engine drivers of launch MV Mayur-2, following their arrest in the case filed over the June 29 capsize of another smaller launch in the Buriganga River that killed 34 people.
Senior Judicial Magistrate Fairuz Tasnim passed the order during a virtual hearing.
Sadarghat river police station Sub-Inspector (SI) Md Shahidul Alam, also the case investigation officer, produced them before the court seeking a seven-day remand.
Defence counsels at the same time also pleaded with the court to quash the remand plea and sought bail for their clients.
The court rejected both pleas made by the defence and granted police a four-day remand for the two launch drivers – Shipon Hawlader and Md Shakil Hossain.
Earlier in the day, SP Khandker Faridul Islam of the river police told Dhaka Tribune that the two were arrested during a raid in the city’s Sutrapur area around 11am on Wednesday.
Both of them are accused in the case filed at South Keraniganj police station in connection to the June 29 launch capsize. River police are investigating the case.
During another hearing, Senior Judicial Magistrate Fairuz Tasnim on Wednesday also rejected a bail petition of Mayur-2 owner Mosaddek Hanif Soad, filed by his lawyer Sultan Naser.
River police arrested Mosaddek from Sobhanbagh area on June 9, and Mayur-2 supervisor Abdus Salam from Lalkuthi Ghat area on June 7.
Both were later put on remand and sent to jail.
On Tuesday, the launch’s master Abul Basher was also arrested by Rapid Action Battalion from Hasnabad area of South Keraniganj and he was put on remand by another Dhaka court for three days.
Thirty-four people were killed on June 29 when a small launch, named ML Morning Bird, sank in the Buriganga after Mayur-2 crashed into it near Farashganj Ghat while reversing.
A case over the incident was filed the next day by Sadarghat river police SI Shamsul Alam, against seven people and several unknown individuals.
So far, five have been arrested.
