A Dhaka tribunal on Wednesday (October 9) rejected the bail plea of a teenager involved in a fatal private car crash that killed a construction worker in the capital’s Baridhara area. Judge Md Abdul Moktadir of the Dhaka Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal-8 passed the order after hearing arguments from both the prosecution and the defence.
The incident occurred on the afternoon of September 23 on Road No. 1 of the Baridhara Diplomatic Zone, where 24-year-old construction worker Mehedi Hasan, a native of Sonaray village in Nilphamari’s Domar Upazila, was killed. Witnesses reported that Mehedi was resting on the sidewalk when a speeding private car veered off the road and struck him, causing his death at the scene.
Public Prosecutor Mohammad Sharif Uddin Mamun confirmed the court's decision, noting that the state strongly opposed the bail petition. The teenager’s lawyer, Khorshed Mia Alam, had sought bail on the grounds of his client’s reported illness. This marks the second time the court has denied bail, following an initial rejection on September 24, when the same tribunal ordered the suspect to be sent to a juvenile development centre.
The legal proceedings have drawn significant public scrutiny due to the initial handling of the case. While police initially detained the 17-year-old teenager—who is an O-Level student at a prominent English-medium school in Gulshan—they later released him into his family's custody following preliminary questioning. However, after public outcry, authorities reviewed video footage, confirmed his involvement, and subsequently brought him under the purview of the law.
The case was filed at Gulshan Police Station by the victim’s brother, Moktadir Islam. Although the original complaint named Akash Marak, a 44-year-old driver, the police have yet to apprehend him. Investigation records reveal that the private car involved in the accident is registered to the mother of the teenage suspect, whose father is a captain with Biman Bangladesh Airlines.
