The driver and assistant of a passenger bus died after being beaten up after an argument with the passengers for demanding extra fare in Ashulia. The police recovered the body of the deceased after receiving the information.
The beating took place in the EPZ area of Nabinagar-Chandra highway around 2 pm on Monday (April 8). Later they were rescued and taken to Sheikh Fazilatunnecha Mujib Memorial KPJ Specialized Hospital where they died under treatment around 7:30 pm.
The deceased were Sohel Rana Babu (26) from Tongi area of Gazipur, the driver of Itihasa Paribahan and Hriday (30) from Phulpur area of Mymensingh, the conductor of the same bus.
According to the police, the bus driver and conductor of Itishah Paribahan were attacked by the passengers for asking for extra fare. When they were seriously injured due to beating, they were rescued and taken to Sheikh Fazilatunnecha Hospital in Tetuibari area of Gazipur where they died while undergoing treatment.
Atiqur Rahman, the elder brother of the deceased Hriday, said that he got to know from the bus assistant that the fare for their transportation from Dhaka's Mirpur to Chandra is about 80 taka. However, due to Eid, 100 taka was being charged with 20 taka extra. All passengers were being picked up as fare. A passenger boarded the bus and refused to pay the extra money. At one stage, Hridyo told him that he would not need rent. He was angry. And threatened that he will take a look when he reaches Ashulia. Around noon, when the bus reached the area near Ashulia police station, 20-30 youths boarded the bus. When the bus reached the DEPZ area and got stuck in traffic, those youths took Hridyo from the bus and took him to the back of the bus and hit him on the chest with a brick. Besides, the driver was also beaten. At that time, the driver's assistant ran away and took a position in fear. After that, when the youth left, he took the driver and Hriday to the Sheikh Fazilatunnecha Mujib Memorial KPJ Specialized Hospital with the help of other passengers and passers-by. Doctors declared them dead.
Asking for an exemplary punishment for this incident, he said, 'They beat my brother and another person to death for a small fee.'
Ashulia Police Inspector (Investigation) Md. Masudur Rahman said that legal proceedings are ongoing in this incident. The bodies of the deceased have been recovered and sent for post-mortem.