Students protest at the university gate for the third day, causing traffic to halt on the road
Published : 24 Apr 2024, 10:38 PM
Police have arrested the driver of the bus that hit a motorcycle and killed two students of the Chattogram University of Engineering and Technology (CUET).
Tajul Islam, 49, from Raozan’s Chikdair, was held at the GEC intersection in the city on Wednesday, Rangunia Police Station chief Chandan Kumar Chakraborty said.
Chandan said that the bus was seized following the accident, but the driver fled the scene. Tajul was later arrested in the morning with the help of a tip-off.
The dead are Shanto Saha from the 20th batch and Taufiq Hossain from the 21st batch of the civil engineering department.
A third student was critically injured in the accident on Chattogram-Kaptai road at Zia Nagar near Selima Quader Chowdhury College in Rangunia Upazila on Monday afternoon. He has been admitted to Chattogram Medical College Hospital.
The Shah Amanat Paribahan bus is 44 years old and it plied Chattogram-Chandraghona Lichu Bagan route, according to officials from the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority in the district.
Iqbal Ahmed, the motor vehicle inspector at BRTA, said the bus's fitness expired in February, and no renewal application was submitted afterwards.
On Wednesday, CUET students continued their protests for the third consecutive day over the deaths of their peers.
They gathered at the university gate, causing traffic to halt on that road.
CUET authorities, along with transport owners, labour representatives, and student representatives, held a meeting with the Chattogram District Commissioner on Tuesday.
During the meeting, it was assured that the families of the dead victims would receive Tk 500,000 each in compensation, while the injured student would receive Tk 300,000.
Additionally, an investigation committee led by Additional District Magistrate AKM Golam Morshed Khan was formed to investigate the incident.
A CUET official, who requested anonymity as he was not authorised to talk to the media, told bdnews24.com that due to the ongoing student movement, no classes or exams were held at the university.
An emergency meeting was scheduled for the afternoon to address the crisis.
"They suspended the programme on Tuesday night after agreeing to several demands from the protesting students. However, around 10am, a group started protesting at the gate," he said.