Barisal University authorities have officially filed a case concerning the tragic death of Maisha Fauzia Mim, a student at the university.
The case, filed by Assistant Registrar Sanwar Hossain Liton, was registered at Barisal Bandar police station on Saturday morning.
The main accused in the case is Jamil Hossain, 25, bus driver. Another unidentified driver’s assistant also named as a co-accused.
Following a search operation, Barisal Metropolitan Police successfully arrested Jamil Hossain early Saturday from a relative's house in Morich Bunia village, Patuakhali.
The arrest was confirmed by Barisal Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mohammad Shafiqul Islam, who said that police teams were dispatched to Dhaka, Narayanganj, and Patuakhali to locate and apprehend the accused driver.
The recent arrest follows Jamil Hossain's involvement in a prior accident case.
In response to the incident, a joint meeting was held early Saturday with representatives from Barisal University, bus owners, student bodies, law enforcement, and district administration.
During the meeting, it was agreed that a total compensation of Tk20 lakh would be provided to Maisha’s family.
The amount includes Tk10 lakh from the bus owner, Tk5 lakh from the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), and Tk5 lakh from Barisal University.
Additionally, measures were discussed to enhance student safety on the Barisal-Kuakata and Barisal-Bhola highways near the university.
Plans include constructing a foot-over bridge on the Barishal-Kuakata highway in front of the university, which will be named after Maisha.
Deputy Director of Public Relations, Faisal Mahmud Rumi, said that a request has been sent to the road and township department to expedite the bridge’s construction.
Other agreed-upon safety measures include installing speed limit signboards and rumble strips, setting up adequate lighting along the highways, and establishing round-the-clock traffic police presence with permanent traffic boxes near the university entrance.
Maisha, a student from the Statistics Department in the 2022-23 academic year, was fatally struck by a bus from Narayanganj Travels Transport on Wednesday night, in front of the university.
In response, outraged students blocked the Barisal-Kuakata highway for extended periods from Wednesday night through Friday, demanding the driver’s arrest and additional safety measures.
With the university and authorities meeting their demands, students have called off their protests, including the highway blockade.
