Uproar over death of elderly man hit by motorcycle in Habiganj, demand for driver's arrest

Relatives of an elderly pedestrian killed after being hit by a reckless motorcycle in broad daylight in Habiganj city have alleged police inaction. They complained that the motorcycle driver is not being arrested because he is employed in the police administration. On the contrary, police officers from Habiganj Sadar Police Station visited the victim's house and advised the relatives to settle the matter.

An elderly pedestrian named Jahur Ali, 73, was seriously injured when he was hit by a speeding motorcycle near the Water Development Board office in the Shayestanagar area of the city last Tuesday (June 16). Multiple CCTV footages showed the driver fleeing with the motorcycle through the city's Fire Service Road immediately after the incident. On the other hand, several people, including a woman, rescued Jahur Ali and admitted him to Habiganj Sadar Hospital.

Jahur Ali's head was fractured in the accident, requiring three stitches. Later, when his condition deteriorated, he was transferred to a private hospital in Sylhet city on a doctor's advice. Jahur Ali died there at 11pm that night while undergoing treatment. Relatives of the deceased said he was buried in the local graveyard the following day after the Janaza (funeral prayer) after the Zohr prayer.

Meanwhile, immediately after the accident, the Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Habiganj Sadar Police Station and DSB members visited Jahur Ali's house in the Mohanpur area of the city, according to the deceased's London-expatriate daughter, Mahmuda Kha. Mahmuda Kha, former president of Habiganj District Chhatra Union, claimed that the motorcycle driver involved in the accident works for the police.

For this reason, the OC went to the house and offered compensation to the relatives of the deceased. However, they expressed inability to disclose the driver's identity.

Making such allegations, Mahmuda Kha posted multiple statuses on the social media platform Facebook. She also shared multiple CCTV footages of the accident on her Facebook wall. She demanded the disclosure of the identity and arrest of the police member involved in the accident and drew the attention of the Superintendent of Police of Habiganj to this matter.

However, denying such allegations, the police stated that although they advised the deceased's family to file a case, no one submitted a complaint even after three days.

Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Habiganj Sadar Police Station, Jahidul Haque, said that after the accident, he went to the deceased's house himself and asked them to submit a written complaint on Friday (June 19) night. But while the deceased's family made various allegations to different people, they did not lodge a written complaint with the police station.

Avoiding a direct answer to the question of whether the motorcycle driver is employed in the police, OC Jahidul Haque said that the matter is under investigation. The police have identified the driver, and necessary legal action will be taken once a complaint is received. He claimed that because the deceased's family buried the body without informing the police after the accident, it was not possible to conduct an inquest report or an autopsy.

Meanwhile, expressing anger over the unexpected and brutal death of Jahur Ali, prominent citizens and leaders of various organizations in the district issued a joint statement. In the statement, they said, "Even after killing a man by causing an accident in broad daylight on the main road of the city, the killer driver is roaming freely, which is contrary to the rule of law." They strongly demanded that the killer motorcycle driver be identified by analyzing the CCTV footage and brought to justice immediately.

The leaders visited the residence of the late Jahur Ali, met his son Parvez, expressed deep sympathy to the bereaved family, and solidarity with their demand for a legal battle on Thursday (June 18) night.

Those who expressed consent and solidarity in the statement include Piyush Chakraborty, Abu Hena Mostafa Kamal, Advocate Junaid Ahmed, Anup Kumar Deb Mona, Siddiqui Harun, Ranjan Roy, Tofael Sohel, Advocate Fakhruddin Zaki, Azizur Rahman Kawsar, Palash Chowdhury, and Md. Askir Mia, among others.