Teen driver placed on remand

The 19-year-old driver of the ambulance that ran over and killed four people inside Dhaka Medical College Hospital on Saturday was placed on police remand for a day yesterday.

Producing Sohel, who was at the wheel of the vehicle, before a Dhaka court, Sub-Inspector Shah Alam of Shahbagh Police Station sought seven days' remand.

Tap here to add The Daily Star as a trusted source

Sohel, a driver's assistant, was arrested after the incident that also left three people injured.

SI Alam, investigation officer of the case, told the court that driver Sohag and ambulance owner Mahfuz were on the run.

Four people, including a pregnant woman Amena Begum, were killed when the ambulance ran them over inside the DMCH near the emergency gate.

A portion of this road in front of Dhaka Medical College Hospital used to remain occupied by a fleet of private ambulances, as seen in the file photo.

Doctors performed a caesarean on Amena Saturday noon but could not save the baby. She too died of her injuries in the evening.

According to DMCH sources, around 70 ambulances are usually parked on both sides of the road in front of the hospital every day.

Following Saturday's incident, no ambulance was found in the area, said police and DMCH sources.

Sources said most of the ambulances, including the one involved in the accident, were owned and managed by lower-class staff of the hospital.

The DMCH has four ambulances, two of which are out of service, added sources.

Contacted, Zillur Rahman, a ward master of the hospital, said absence of ambulances did not create any major problems as relatives of patients hired ambulances from different areas.

All were gone yesterday following Saturday's incident in which four people were run over and killed by an ambulance inside the hospital. Photo: Anisur Rahman