Staff Reporter :
The High Court (HC) on Thursday verbally ordered the Green Line Paribahan authority not to sell the advanced tickets from April 11 if the company fails to pay Tk 50 lakh by April 10 as compensation to Russel Sarkar, who lost his left leg after a Green Line bus hit him in the city’s Dolairpar area on April 28 last year.
The HC also said that it would give auction order to seize all of the vehicles of Green Line Paribahan on April 10, if the company does not pay Tk 50 lakh to the victim within the stipulated time.
The HC bench comprising Justice F R M Nazmul Ahasan and Justice K M Kamrul Quader passed the order in presence of Green Line Paribahan General Manger Abdus Sattar, who appeared in the court around 2:00 pm as per its order passed earlier in the day.
After appearing in the court, General Manager Abdus Satter told the court that the company could not pay the amount to Russel as the Green Line Paribahan owner, Md Alauddin, went to India on March 21 for his treatment and will return on April 9.
Then, the court said that it would not tolerate further delay in paying the compensation money. “If you fail to pay, stop selling bus tickets from April 11 to avoid public sufferings,” the HC Bench said.
The victim, Russel, along with his wife and one kid were present in the court during the hearing. After coming out from the court, Abdus Satter told reporters that the company would pay the money in accordance with the High Court directives. He, however, raised a question saying if the company pays the fine in line with the High Court directives, all victims will have come to the High Court to receive compensation.
Road accidents are common phenomenon in our country. There is a law for motor vehicle accident. The victim family can get compensation under the motor vehicle ordinance. If the company pays huge amount of money for an accident, it would be difficult for a company to continue their business, Satter said adding that no bus driver commits any accident willingly.
The company starts their business after scrutinizing all aspects of accidents, compensation, drivers’ management and profit. If the company pays the compensation amount of Tk 50 lakh to the victim Russel, the problem would not be solved, rather the problem for the company would arise as many victims would file writ petitions with the HC seeking compensation without following the motor vehicle laws, the General Manager noted.
Earlier in the morning yesterday, the HC summoned Green Line Paribahan’s Manager to appear in the court in order to submit his explanation as to why the company did not pay compensation to Russel Sarkar. The HC Bench summoned the General Manager after advocate Shamsul Haque Reza, counsel for Russel, informed the court that Green Line Paribahan has not complied with the High Court’s order on Thursday morning. Expressing anger and dissatisfaction about the Green Line Paribahan authorities, the High Court said no matter how big of a businessman one is, or even how big of a corporation one operates, no one is above the law. Adding to which the court stated that all Green Line buses will be sold on auction and the money collected from that will be provided to the victim, Russle, as compensation.
Previously, on March 12, the High Court ordered Green Line Paribahan to pay compensation to Russel Sarkar within 14 days.
Green Line Paribahan authority moved before the Supreme Court against the HC order. But the four-member Bench led by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain on March 31 upheld the HC order and the HC on the same day revised its order and asked the company to pay the compensation money by Wednesday April 3.
On May 14 last year, the High Court issued a rule asking as to why private car driver Russel, 23, should not get Tk one crore as compensation. Green Line was asked to respond to the rule within four weeks.
Russel, 26, a car driver of a power company, lost his leg from below the knee after he was knocked down by the bus near Mayor Hanif Flyover at the capital’s Dholaipar on April 4 last year.
The bus driver had an altercation with him and ran over Russel as he chased down the bus.
Russel was first taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital with a severed leg, and transferred to Square Hospitals and later to Apollo Hospitals.After being informed, police impounded the bus and detained Kabir from near the National Press Club. However, Kabir is now on bail in the case filed over the incident.
