A Dhaka court has granted bail to Mosaddek Hanif Soad, owner of the Moyur-2 launch responsible for capsize of the Morning Bird launch on the Buriganga River that killed 34 passengers on June 29.
Dhaka District and Sessions Judge Shawkot Hossain Chowdhury granted the bail after a virtual hearing of appeal filed by his lawyer against the rejection order of the lower court.
Public Prosecutor Khandaker Abdul Mannan Khan confirmed the matter to Dhaka Tribune.
During the hearing, defence lawyer said the owner was not on the launch when the accident took place. The prosecution, however, opposed the defence pleas saying that the accused, as an owner of the launch, could not avoid the responsibility of the accident.
After hearing both sides, the judge granted bail to Mosaddek Hanif Soad upon a bond of Tk 20,000 with two guarantors.
Earlier on July 12, Senior Judicial Magistrate Shahazadi Tahmina sent Mosaddek Hanif to jail after completion of his three-day remand.
On July 9, following his arrest, another court had granted police three days to interrogate Mosaddek in the case, filed on June 30 by the same station’s Sub-Inspector Shamsul Alam at South Keraniganj police station.
Seven people including Mosaddek were named in the case, while several unknown individuals were also made accused.
Thirty-four people were killed when a small launch, named ML Morning Bird, sank on the Buriganga, after the much larger Mayur-2, while in reverse, horrifically crashed into it near Farashganj Ghat in Dhaka on June 29.
After the case was filed, Mayur-2 Supervisor Abdus Salam was also arrested and remanded for three days on July 7. Another Dhaka court sent him to jail later after the remand ended.
