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“The defendants’ lawyers are trying to cover up the incident by spreading misinformation in the media,” one protester says
Published : 21 Dec 2024, 05:13 PM
Protesters have conducted a sit-in programme at the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology to demand justice for the death of Mohtassim Masud, a student of the university who was run over by a private car.
The protesting students raised a five-point list of demands at the Shaheed Minar on the campus on Saturday morning.
During the programme, student Sadman Turjo said: “Strengthen the road safety law and protect the country's judicial system from being held hostage by a certain quarter. No more lives should be lost on the road at the hands of drunks and the intoxicated. Families should not lose their children. Children should not be snatched away from their mothers.”
“It is the responsibility of the public as well as the government to pay attention to this matter. Set an example for the country by ensuring exemplary punishment in this incident. No matter what family the perpetrator belongs to, no one is above the law - let this standard be re-established."
BUET student Masud was standing at a Rupganj police checkpost on the 300-Foot Road in Purbachal when he was run over and killed.
His classmates Mehedi Hasan Khan and Amit Saha were severely injured.
Mubin Al Mamun, the son of former brigadier general Abdullah Al Mamun, was driving the car at the time.
After the incident, Mubin and his friends Mirajul Karim and Asif Chowdhury were arrested. The next day, Mubin and Mirajul tested positive for drugs.
Turjo said, "This is not an accident. Instead, we should say that the driver drove recklessly while intoxicated and brutally killed one of our classmates and seriously injuring two others.”
“We demand exemplary punishment for this murder.”
Saying that the incident was being covered up, he added: “We can already see that the lawyers of the accused are trying to cover up the incident by spreading misleading information in the media.”
“At the same time, some media outlets are also trying to spread propaganda by calling this murder an accident. We condemn this propaganda and demand a fair trial over this incident as soon as possible.”
The father of the Masud, Masud Mia, filed a case under the Road Transport Act at Rupganj Police Station on Friday morning. Police have petitioned a court to question the three detainees in the case for five days in their custody. The remand hearing is set for Sunday.
Turjo said, “We have seen in the past that whenever members of an influential family are involved in a crime - even if it is a serious offense - they are later exempted from a trial through the exertion of that influence. We fear this will happen in this incident.”
"We are alarmed by the delay in taking up the case from the start and the attempts to divert the judicial process in various ways, including the misleading and false information provided by the killer's family to the news media."
The five point list of demands the protesters put forward was:
• The maximum punishment for the “murder” must be ensured at any cost
• The accused must bear the entire medical expenses for the injured
• The accused must be forced to pay appropriate compensation to the family of Masud
• Legal action must be taken if there is an attempt to obstruct the investigation
• Safety must be ensured so that no more lives are lost due to road accidents
