Witnesses claim ‘MP’s son Shabab was behind the wheel’ in fatal Dhaka hit-and-run

Witnesses say Ekramul Karim Chowdhury MP’s son Shabab Chowdhury was driving the car when it ran over and killed a man in Dhaka’s Mohakhali on Tuesday night.

But the family of the ruling Awami League MP from Noakhali have denied the allegation, claiming their car was involved in the accident, but not Shabab.

Police say they are not sure whether Shabab was driving the car at the time of the incident.

The victim, Selim Bepari, 55, was himself a driver employed by a private firm. He was waiting for a transport to his daughter’s home at Uttarkhan when the car, reportedly an Audi SUV, hit him on Airport Road.

Selim Bepari

Shamim Ashrafi, a businessman from Dhanmondi, told bdnews24.com on Wednesday that he followed a white Audi with his car when he saw a motorcycle rider was chasing the car.

He said he entered the NAM Bhaban complex, where flats for MPs are allocated, following the Audi and saw Shabab arguing with the motorcycle rider over the crash.

Shamim said Shabab snatched the mobile phone of the biker and was about to hit him. Shabab also wanted to pay the biker for his phone.

“When I asked him why he was doing it, Shabab told me unabashedly that his car hit a bus. The motorcyclist then said Shabab ran over and killed a man and he had filmed the incident on his mobile phone,” Shamim said.

As the biker demanded Shabab’s apology and compensation for the victim’s family, Shabab replied: “You surely know what level of the society we have access to. Go away. Such incidents are natural.”

Shabab admitted that he took away the motorcyclist’s mobile phone as it contained the video of the incident, Shamim said.

“How many millions do you need to forget the incident?” Shabab asked them, according to businessman Shamim.

bdnews24.com could not contact the motorcyclist, but his comments were aired in a TV report.

“He (Shabab) offered me money and asked me to get off. His friend kicked and boxed me,” he is heard saying in the report.

Screengrab of TV video of the motorcyclist who claims to have chased Shabab Chowdhury.

Shamim said he went to Kafrul Police Station later in the night and reported the incident to the OC.

“But the OC misbehaved with us. We informed the police through the 999 emergency helpline. We have proofs of these,” he added.   

Neither Kafrul Police Station OC Sikder Md Shamim, nor Sub-Inspector Sujon Karmaker, who is investigating the case started by victim Selim’s family, initially received bdnews24.com phone calls for comments.

Later, the police station’s phone operator Abdur Rob said a witness named ‘Ashraf’ came to the station in the wee hours of Wednesday.

“He (Shamim Ashrafi) said they chased the car that finally entered the NAM Bhaban and MP’s som Shabab was in the car,” Rob said.

OC Sikder received the call finally in the evening but denied the claim that someone came to the police station to report the incident on Tuesday night.

At the NAM Bhaban, a security guard who was on duty on Tuesday night, told bdnews24.com MP Ekramul lives in Dhanmondi and the family’s chauffeurs and house helps live in the flat allocated for him at the NAM complex.

The guard, Nazrul Islam, said he saw Shabab and five to six others at the complex on Tuesday night.

“It seemed there was some problem. Later, their chauffeur Nurul Amin told me that he did not drive the car out that day and that Mr Shabab had an accident,” Nazrul said.    

Shabab Chowdhury. Photo taken from his Facebook page

Shabab’s mother Kamrun Nahar Shiule, the chairperson of Kabirhat Upazila Council in Noakhali, admitted that the car involved in the accident belonged to her, but denied the claim that Shabab was driving it.

She told bdnews24.com that their chauffer Nurul was behind the wheel on Tuesday night.

She, however, said they did not know where Nurul was now.  

Shabab could not be reached for comments.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner Masud Ahmed told bdnews24.com they were trying to find out who was driving the car and would take the next steps after identifying the person.

Victim Selim’s son-in-law Ariful Islam Bhuiyan started the case naming unidentified people at Kafrul Police Station.

Selim’s daughter Sadia Akter Tamanna said her father was scheduled to visit her at Ariful’s home at Uttarkhan after work on Tuesday.

Ariful said Selim was waiting for a transport when Sheuli’s car hit him.

Selim, hailing from Barishal, lived with his wife China Bepari and a 7-year-old son at Uttarkhan.