Natore crash: Bus had no fitness clearance for 5 months

The RP Special bus involved in Tuesday’s crash in Natore that killed 12 people had been operating for five months without a valid fitness certificate, according to police and the committee investigating the accident.

The bus routinely made the more than 500-kilometre journey from Barguna to Chapainawabganj overnight, leaving around 6:00pm and arriving around 6:00am.

It had about 40 passengers aboard when it collided head-on with a sand-laden truck near the Bonpara police outpost around 4:15am.

“We are investigating how it was allowed to run on this long route for so long without proper certification,” said Md Alamgir Hossain, officer-in-charge of Bonpara Highway Police Station.

He said the bus’s fitness certificate expired in May and the matter had been reported to the district administration’s probe committee.

Bus owner Md Mintu Ali said he bought the Ashok Leyland vehicle about a year ago and initially rented it out for private tours and picnics. After obtaining a route permit, he started operating it on the Barguna-Chapainawabganj route four months ago.

He claimed he had applied to the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) to update the vehicle’s documents but continued operating it because of delays in the process.

This correspondent could not reach BRTA officials despite repeated attempts to verify the claim.

Md Abul Hayat, additional district magistrate of Natore and head of the seven-member probe committee, confirmed to The Daily Star that the bus had been operating without fitness clearance for five months.

“We will check all papers, official documents, and safety requirements to identify the root cause. We will not make further comments until the investigation is complete,” he said.

The committee visited the accident site yesterday.

Passengers alleged that the driver had been sleeping and that a helper or supervisor was driving when the crash occurred. Mintu denied the allegation, saying two drivers were aboard.

“Sohel Rana is an experienced driver, and the accident was simply the result of a momentary lapse in concentration,” he said.

Sources in the transport sector said operating a bus on a 500-kilometre overnight route with a single driver was hazardous. They also said drivers sometimes took over from one another informally on long routes, increasing the risk of accidents.

Hayat said the committee would also examine the allegation about who was driving.

“Our preliminary assessment suggests the driver may have been drowsy, leading to a loss of control. We will reveal all findings regarding the cause of the accident after the final investigation concludes,” he said.

Meanwhile, many of the at least 30 injured passengers were receiving treatment at hospitals in Rajshahi and Natore. No new deaths had been reported until the report was filed last evening.