Police has released the owner of the transport company Challenger Paribahan whose one of the buses collided with a human-hauler in Natore that left 15 people dead on Saturday (Aug 25).

Banpara highway police filed a case naming seven people including the owners of the bus and the human hauler following the incident that also injured 30 others.

Later police arrested bus owner Monju Sarkar along with the bus helper.

Police set free Monju Sarkar from a Natore outpost on Sunday night nine hours after he was picked up at 11am on the same day.

“Two people were arrested as per the higher authorities’ order and bus owner Monju Sarker was released to follow the order,” Natore Sadar police Inspector Farid Uddin told Bangla Tribune.

When asked police, Bogura range highway SP Mostafizuer Rahman denied comment over Monju’s release.

“It’s not mandatory to arrest anyone, if (s)he is named in a case. The investigation officer decides it after verifying the matter,” Bogura police SP Ali Ashraf told Bangla Tribune.

Meanwhile, an official at Bangladesh Road Transport Authority Bogura office claimed that the Challenger Paribahan’ vehicles were run without route permit.

“Challenger Paribahan’s bus, which caused the road crash, was operated on a fitness certificate with no route permit,” BTRA Bogura office’s Assistant Director Syed Mesbah Uddin told Bangla Tribune.

Police, however, seemed to have no knowledge on the bus being operated without the necessary documents.

“Whether the vehicle has the route permit or not we will let you (journalists) know after verifying the papers,” Highway SP Rahman told Bangla Tribune.