Staff Reporter :
RAB has arrested the accused driver Saiful from the capital for killing five brothers of a family by pushing a pickup truck on the way home after the funeral of their late father at Chakaria in Cox’s Bazar. He was arrested from city’s Mohammadpur area on Friday night.
Khandaker Al Moin, the commander of RAB’s legal and media wing, shared various information with the media regarding the issue. He said none of the dead was acquaintance of the driver Saiful. Although he did not have any driving license, he had been driving a pickup truck for two years. After the accident, Saiful went into hiding to escape arrest on the instructions of the pickup owner.
RAB Officer Commander Khandaker Al Moin divulged the information in a press conference held at RAB Media Center at Karwan Bazar in the capital on Saturday afternoon.
He said that at the time of the incident, driver Saiful along with two others Tareq and Rabiul, left Chakaria for Cox’s Bazar with a pickup truck loaded with vegetables. Tareq is the son of Mahmudul Karim, the owner of the pickup, and Rabiul is his nephew.
Saiful was driving the pickup at a speed of 65 to 70 kmph even in the fog in order to deliver the vegetables fast.
Saiful crushed the 9 brothers and sisters who were standing on the side of the road due to fog and excessive speed. He then got out of the pickup and came to see the victims, but on the instructions of the owner’s son Tareq, he quickly fled the scene.
Later, driver Saiful called the pickup owner and informed him about the accident. The owner of the car asked him to leave the pickup keeping the vehicle in a place and meet him using the local bus.
As per the owner’s instructions, Saiful left the pickup at Dulahajra, took a bus to Chakaria and met the owner. Mahmudul, the owner of the pickup, advised him to stay in hiding for at least a year.
Later driver Saiful came to Dhaka for hiding. The RAB arrested him from city’s Mohammadpur bus stand area.
It may be mentioned that four brothers were killed on the spot when they were hit by a speeding pickup while crossing the road at Malumghat of Dulahazara on the Chakaria Highway around 5:30 am on Tuesday.
Another brother died after being taken to hospital. Two more brothers and one sister were injured in the accident.
