A court in Dhaka has placed five accused including four masters of two motor-launches on a three-day remand each for questioning over the death of five people in an accident at Sadarghat launch terminal on Thursday afternoon.
Those who were placed on remand are Md Mizanur Rahman, 48, Class I Master and Md Moniruzzaman, Class II Master of MV Tashrif-4 launch; and Md Abdur Rouf Howlader, Class I Master, and Md Selim Howlader, Class II Master of MV Farhan-6 launch; and Md Faruque Khan, 76, manager of MV Farhan-6 launch.
Earlier, the accused were produced before the court by police on Friday (April 12). Then the investigation officer (IO) of the case Naqib, a sub-inspector of Sadarghat thana of River Police, pleaded to place the accused on a seven-day remand each for "fair investigation" into the case.
Following the hearing of the remand plea, Dhaka's Chief Judicial Magistrate Arifa Chowdhury Himel placed each of the accused on a three-day remand.
Earlier, Ismail Hossain, joint director (River Securty and Traffic Management) of Dhaka River Port, filed the case at South Keraniganj Police Station, on Thursday midnight, in connection with the death of five people due to negligence. Following the case, the river police arrested them.
On Thursday, five people died after the rope of the pontoon of launch severed and fell down at Sadarghat along with the passengers. Among the deceased, there were a child and a woman. Five more people were injured in this incident.
Critically injured were taken to Sir Salimullah Medical College Mitford Hospital where on duty doctors declared the five people as dead, said Ashik Sayeed.
Of the deceased, three are men, a woman and a child.
The deceased included three of a same family. They were Belal, 25, his wife Mukta, 26, and their baby girl Maisha, 3. They hailed from Mathbaria in Pirojpur district. Two other deceased were Rabiul from Thakurgaon and Ripon Howlader from Patuakhali.
Joynal Abedin, Joint Commissioner of Dhaka River Port (Sadarghat Traffic Zone) said several injured people were sent to Mitford Hospital after rescuing.
Passenger launches MV Pubali-1 and MV Tasrif-4 were tied to the pontoon with wire ropes. At one stage, the rope of MV Tasrif-4 broke into pieces and hit the passengers after another launch, MV Farhan-6, tried to anchor in between the two launches.
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