Accused driver in custody, police complete autopsy

The car driver, who ran over a woman and dragged her along around a one-kilometer stretch on the Dhaka University campus on Friday afternoon, has been undergoing treatment at a hospital in police custody.

Meanwhile, the police have completed the autopsy of deceased Rubina Akter, 45. Her body will be handed over to the family members today, Saturday.

Accused driver Azhar Zafar Shah is an expelled associate professor of the international relations department at Dhaka University.

The former DU teacher was given beaten up on the spot. Later, he was sent to hospital.

Nur Mohammad, officer-in-charge (OC) of Shahbagh police station confirmed this information. He said Jakir Hossain, a brother of victim Rubina Akter, filed a case against Azhar Zafar Shah under the Road Transport Act early Saturday.

The incident took place around 3:00pm on Friday when Rubina, riding pillion of a motorbike of his brother-in-law, was heading towards her father’s house in Hazaribagh from her residence in Tejgaon.

As a private car hit their motorbike from behind in front of the fine arts faculty of Dhaka University, Rubina fell on the road and got trapped under the TSC-bound private car. Instead of rescuing the victim, the driver geared up the car recklessly and dragged Rubina to Nilkhet.

The passersby managed to stop the car near the main entrance of Dhaka University at Nilkhet and rescued severely injured Rubina. She, however, succumbed to her injuries soon after being taken to the DMCH.

Nurul Amin, the brother-in-law of Rubina, said she got trapped under the car after it hit their motorbike from behind. However, instead of stopping, the car accelerated further with Rubina hooked between the front and rear wheels under the chassis.

Md Shahidullah, deputy commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (Ramna Division), said a police team along with the passersby chased the car and detained driver Azhar.

Rubina’s relatives said her husband Mahbubur Rahman, a business person, died two years ago. She was living with her eighth grader son in the Honda lane area in the capital’s Tejgaon. She used to cover the educational expenses of her son from house rents. Besides, relatives also used to help her in this regard after her husband’s death.