Judge wants to wrap up trial of Jabale Nur owners, workers in November

The judge hearing the case over the July 29 deaths of two college students on the Airport Road in Dhaka says he wants to end the trial within this month.

After recording deposition of the plaintiff and a witness on Monday, Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge KM Imrul Kayes adjourned the hearing until Tuesday.

He also said he would hear the case every working day until Nov 22.

Jahangir Alam, the father of one of the dead students, Dia Khanom Mim, started the case after a bus of the Jabale Nur transport ran over several students of Shaheed Ramiz Uddin Cantonment College and killed Dia and Abdul Karim.

Jahangir and his relative ‘Mehraz’ testified on Monday. The defence lawyers also crosschecked their depositions, Foyez Ahmed, a clerk at the court, told bdnews24.com.

The accident triggered a countrywide student movement for safe roads that brought traffic to a standstill for around a week. The government promised the protesters steps to meet their demands in a bid to bring the situation under control.

In the sensational case, 41 people were named as witnesses. Three Jabale Nur buses and the driving licences of the drivers were also seized as evidence.

The court started recording the statements of the witnesses on Nov 1 after framing the charges against the six accused on Oct 25.

The accused behind bars are Md Shahadat Hossain Akondo, owner of one of the buses, driver Masum Billah and his helper Md Enayet Hossain and Md Zobayer Sumon, driver of the second bus.

The owner of the second Jabale-Nur bus, Md Jahangir Alam, and his helper Md Asad Kazi are on the run.

File Photo: Police escort four accused to the court.

The six face up to life term imprisonment if the charge under Section 304 of the Penal Code, which relates to culpable homicide not amounting to murder, is proved.

Inspector Kazi Shariful Islam, who pressed charges against the six, said in the chargesheet that one of the three buses ran over the students while racing.