Court Correspondent

A court in Dhaka on Friday placed five people on a three-day remand each in a case filed over the Sadarghat launch accident that killed five people, including three of a family.

Chief Judicial Magistrate Court Judge Arifa Chowdhury Himel passed the order rejecting the bail pleas of the accused, confirmed Additional Public Prosecutor Anwarul Kabir Babul.

The accused are – MV Farhan-6 drivers Md Abdur Rauf Hawlader, and Md Selim Hawlader, Manager Md Faruk Khan, and MV Tasrif-4 drivers Md Mizanur Rahman, and Md Moniruzzaman.

Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) Joint Director (Marine Safety and Traffic Management) Ismail Hossain lodged the case against them with South Keraniganj police station in the early hours of Friday.

Members of River Police apprehended the five people on Thursday night and later they were shown arrested in the case.

River Police Dhaka district Superintendent of Police (SP) Gautam Kumar Biswas said charges of causing deaths by reckless driving, and negligence have been brought against the accused.

On Thursday afternoon, Farhan-6 slammed Tasrif-4 while trying to dock at Pontoon-11 at the Sadarghat launch terminal. Due to the impact, the rope that tied Tasrif-4 with the pontoon severed and hit the victims.

The deceased were Billal Hossain, 30, his wife Mukta Begum, 25, who was in her sixth month of pregnancy, and their daughter Maisha, 4, all residents of Pirojpur, and Rabiul of Thakurgaon, and Ripon Hawlader of Patuakhali.

The BIWTA formed a three-member probe body to investigate the incident. It also suspended the route permits of the two launches.