Baridhara road death: Family reaches Tk 9 lakh settlement with teen driver’s side

The family of construction worker Mehedi Hasan, who was killed after being run over by a car in Dhaka’s Baridhara, has reached a Tk 9 lakh settlement with the family of the 17-year-old boy who was behind the wheel, the teenager’s lawyer claimed on Thursday (September 24).

Defence lawyer Alamgir Hossain told reporters outside the Dhaka Children’s Court that Tk 1 lakh was paid for Mehedi’s burial expenses and another Tk 8 lakh for the future support of his elderly parents.

Mehedi’s brother and case plaintiff, Moktadir Islam, confirmed that a settlement had been reached but said he did not know the amount involved.

The investigating officer, however, said he was unaware of any settlement and that it would not affect the investigation.

Mehedi, 24, was resting on a footpath on Road No. 1 in the Baridhara Diplomatic Zone around 5pm on Tuesday when a speeding private car lost control and struck him. He was taken to Kurmitola General Hospital, where doctors declared him dead.

People at the scene detained the teenager who was in the driver’s seat and handed him over to police. He was released into his uncle’s custody later that night after questioning.

Mehedi’s brother filed a case with Gulshan Police on Wednesday, naming Akash Mark as the driver but not identifying the 17-year-old by name.

Following criticism over his release, police arrested the teenager later that day.

He was produced before Dhaka Children’s Court-8 on Thursday, where investigating officer SI Arefin Islam sought his detention at a juvenile development centre.

Judge Md Abdul Moktadir ordered that the teenager be sent to the Tongi Juvenile Development Centre in Gazipur.

After the hearing, the teenager’s lawyer disclosed the alleged settlement. The investigating officer later told reporters that he was unaware of it and said police would continue the investigation independently.