A writ petition was filed with the High Court on Sunday seeking directives for the formation of Quick Response Teams (QRTs) near accident-prone areas on roads and highways across the country.
The petition aims to ensure prompt medical treatment for individuals injured in road accidents.
The petitioner requested that these teams include members of the Fire Service, Highway Police, and local police stations. Supreme Court lawyer Md Bahauddin Al Imran, who was himself injured in a road crash, filed the petition with the relevant branch of the High Court.
In addition to the call for QRTs, the writ seeks Tk50 lakh in compensation from the owners of St. Martin Paribahan, a concern of Ifad Motors Limited, for a serious accident on the Dhaka-Chattogram highway in the Basantapur area.
The petitioner sustained five fractures to his left ribs during the incident. The petition further seeks directives to cancel the route permit and licence of the “unauthorised” double-decker bus involved in the crash.
The respondents named in the writ include the secretary of Ministry of Home Affairs, secretary of Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges, Inspector General of Police (IGP), head of Highway Police (Additional Inspector General), chairman of the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), and secretary of the Bangladesh Sleeper AC Bus Owners Association.
The writ also prays for directives to halt the uncontrolled and unregulated speeding of commercial passenger vehicles on highways.
It seeks a mandate for every transport vehicle to display QR codes in visible locations, providing accessible information regarding the vehicle’s fitness, registration, and tax records.
According to the petition, on 19 September 2025, a Dhaka-bound St. Martin Paribahan bus departed from Chittagong. About 2:05am, in the Mia Bazar area under Chauddagram Police Station in Cumilla, the bus spun 180 degrees before crashing into a roadside field.
Following the crash, the driver and helper fled the scene.
The vehicle was plunged into darkness, and trapped passengers began screaming in fear before eventually being rescued with the assistance of the police and fellow travellers.
The petitioner suffered five fractured ribs and various physical and mental complications due to the accident.
Consequently, he was required to remain on complete bed rest for an extended period under a doctor’s advice, resulting in significant financial loss.
The legal move follows the respondents’ failure to reply to a previously served legal notice requesting necessary action. The writ has been filed in public interest alongside the claim for personal compensation.
