In the last couple of days, rumours spread across social media sites claiming that a child was killed and four others injured in an accident involving an under-aged SUV driver racing with another vehicle at Gulshan on October 12.
The role of police has also been questioned for avoiding reporters and giving them minimal information on the teenaged suspect as he is from a rich and influential family linked to the ruling party.
The police members, who rushed to the spot after the incident, also came under severe criticisms for taking the teenager to safety instead of taking legal action for unauthorised and drunk driving.
Dhaka Tribune has been able to unearth the mysteries over the accident after conducting a thorough investigation.
Also Read: Suspect’s family compensates victims, pays their medical bills
It was around 4pm on October 12 when an SUV (sport utility vehicle) hit two rickshaws injuring four people on Road 74 of the capital’s Gulshan 2. Another car, which was reportedly racing with the SUV, sped away.
Eyewitnesses were surprised to see a teenager coming out of the vehicle. He later identified himself as the son of businessman HBM Zahidur Rahman and Premier Bank Director Shaila Shelly Khan. The boy is the nephew of a former Awami League lawmaker.
On information, a patrol police team rushed to the spot and informed Gulshan police about the accident. When other police officials reached the scene, they seized the vehicle and took the driver in front of the nearby Dutch Club. The boy was seen talking over the phone, say witnesses.
In the meantime, locals rescued the injured and took them to United Hospital.
Police officials said they had come to know about three cars including the one belonging to the boy, who was found drunk.
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The teenager was taken to the police station and later handed over to his family on that very day.
Family members tried to undermine the incident as a mere accident caused by brake failure. They, however, could not give any reply when asked how an under-aged boy had been allowed to drive the SUV.
According to the police, the injured are rickshaw pullers Abdul Hakim and Humayun, passenger Rafiqul Islam (a Grameen Bank official), and a 22-year-old female pedestrian. Of them, only Rafiqul was undergoing treatment at the hospital last night.
One of the boy’s friends told the Dhaka Tribune that he had a habit of driving recklessly while drunk.
Another friend said the boy had been filming himself on his phone and sending selfies to his friends through photo-messaging app Snapchat.
The other accident
Another accident occurred in Shahzadpur area under Gulshan police’s jurisdiction around 4:30pm on October 12 and an 18-month-old baby named Khadija, daughter of Abdus Sattar of Gazipur, died.
According to an on-duty patrol officer of Gulshan, Sub-Inspector Abdul Mannan, the baby girl was rushed to Kurmitola General Hospital but only to be declared dead.
Witness accounts
Rickshaw puller Mohammad Shafique, who saw the SUV accident, said the SUV and a car were racing at a high speed. The SUV seemed to have lost control and “rammed two rickshaws after crossing the Dutch Club gate while the other fled the scene.”
Buet teacher Prof Ijaz Hossain, who lives near the spot, said he heard from his driver and the building’s security guard that two people had received critical injuries while two others had minor wounds in the accident.
Asked if he had heard about the death of a child in the accident, he replied in the negative. “They [driver and guard] said a passenger might have died, but they were not sure,” he added.
Hearing about the accident, the security guard called Prof Ijaz’s driver Sohel Rana.
Family members tried to undermine the incident as a mere accident cause by brake failure
“I reached the spot a few minutes after being informed by the guard and saw police there,” Rana said. “They took the SUV driver in front of the main gate of the Dutch Club, some 50 metres from the spot, and became busy on their mobile phones.”
Later, they took the boy with them on a motorcycle and sent the victims to United Hospital, he added.
The injuries of a rickshawpuller and his passenger seemed critical, he said, adding that no child was injured in the accident.
Dhaka Tribune also spoke to rickshaw puller Abdul Hakim, who was released from the hospital on Wednesday.
“I cannot recall the incident much. All I can say is I took a male passenger from Kalachandpur area to Gulshan 2. The incident occurred when I was heading towards road 71,” Hakim told the Dhaka Tribune at Nazrul’s rickshaw garage at Boubazar, where he resides.
“Everything happened within a few seconds. Suddenly, I noticed a car coming recklessly towards me and I did not get the scope to save myself. It was like what we see in films. When I regained consciousness, I found myself in the hospital,” Hakim said.
Another victim Rafiqul Islam was undergoing treatment at the hospital as of last night. His condition was improving, doctors said.
His wife Shapla Begum said: “My husband’s condition is improving and the doctors said we will be able to take him home soon.”
Asked about filing of a case over the incident, Shapla said she was worried only about her husband, and therefore, she had not planned to file a case yet.
She said she heard that the family of the driver would carry the treatment cost.
When contacted, the teenager’s elder brother Shoave Rahman told the Dhaka Tribune that they had carried out all the expenses of the victims. They also compensated the two rickshaw-pullers as they might not be able to earn money for some days.
Police’s suspicious role
The police’s role has been dubious since the incident. They did not file any case over the incident as of last night, saying they were waiting for the victims to lodge a case.
Gulshan police said the boy had been taken to the police station first and handed over to his father.
Police sources also confirmed that there were several alcohol bottles inside the SUV and that the accident was nothing but a result of drunk driving.
Gulshan police filed a report to the court describing the incident. The officials said they would seize the vehicle if a case was filed and take the boy in custody.
The vehicle was found yesterday in front of the police station covered.
Asked if the boy had already left the country as rumoured, police said they did not have any such information.
The teenager’s family yesterday said that he was still in the country.
‘Death of a child’
It was nearly 4:30pm on October 12 when Lutfa Begum and her 18-month daughter Khadiza were returning to Gazipur after paying a visit to her brother-in-law’s house in Natunbazar area in the city.
She was waiting for a bus at Shahzadpur after collecting tickets.
“When I reached the main road, I saw a bus of Anabil Paribahan just leaving the bus stop. So I tried to cross the road hurriedly without taking the foot-overbridge. But suddenly a speedy microbus hit me and I fell on the road,” Lutfa told the Dhaka Tribune on Thursday night.
“Everything turned dark and I failed to keep hold of my baby,” she added.
Lutfa lives with her husband Sattar in Targash of Gazipura in Gazipur. Sattar is a technician at Ananta Garments in Gazipur.
“The accident took place when my wife was returning home from Natunbazar,” Sattar said.
“It [death of the child] was my destiny, for which my wife took the busy street rather than taking the foot-overbridge. After the accident, some officials of a company came to us and apologised. They gave us compensation and carried all the expenses of the baby’s burial.
“We are now trying to forget the issue considering it as destiny,” he said.
Sayed Tareq, a civil engineering of University of Information Technology and Science (UITS), told the Dhaka Tribune that he had seen a woman and a baby lying on the road. “I rushed to the spot immediately to send the injured to hospital, but did not get any response from the onlookers.
“Later, I took the woman on my lap and a rickshaw puller took the child to nearby Upasham Hospital for treatment. After primary treatment, the hospital authorities asked us to take the injured to another hospital.
“Then I talked to a nearby pharmacy owner, and as per his suggestions I took both the mother and her daughter to Kurmitola General Hospital,” Tareq said.
The hospital authorities declared the child dead after a while, Tareq said adding that he then called Lutfa’s relatives from the mobile phone kept inside her handbag.
“After several hours, some company men along with a police officer came in and offered compensation. I also suggested the victim’s family to take the money rather than filing a case as the family was poor and had no capacity to continue a legal fight,” Tareq added.
Asked about the reason behind the death, a duty doctor at Kurmitola Hospital told the Dhaka Tribune that the girl had died due to brain haemorrhage.
Dhaka Tribune reporters visited Shahzadpur area, where the accident took place. A tea-stall owner Hossain also confirmed the accident.
When contacted, SI Abdul Mannan of Gulshan police, also the investigation officer of the case filed by Sattar, told the Dhaka Tribune that they were yet to catch the microbus owner or seize the vehicle.
Asked whether they had settled the matter at the hospital, SI Mannan refuted the claim adding that they were investigating the case.
State of SUV accident victims
The Dhaka Tribune reporter visited United Hospital around 2pm on Wednesday.
Abdul Hakim and Rafiqul Islam were found at cabin 555, under the observation of neurosurgeon Brig Gen Shafiqul Alam. The doctors conducted surgery on them.
The hospital authorities did not let the reporters talk to the victims. Hakim was released that day while Rafiqul shifted to cabin from the ICU.
Source: Dhaka Tribune
