Police arrest 2 people, seize 6 cars over racing through Bangabandhu Tunnel

Police have arrested two people and seized six cars over racing through the Bangabandhu Tunnel in Chattogram.

The owners of two other cars had secured bail after surrendering to the court earlier.

Another owner is in Nepal, according to Shakila Soltana, a deputy commissioner of Chattogram Metropolitan Police.

Speaking to bdnews24.com on Thursday, she said police launched a hunt for the cars and their drivers with information from the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority, but it was difficult to identify them after the change of ownership.

Zahir Hossain, chief of Karnaphuli Police Station, said a police investigation found nine cars took part in the race on the night of Oct 29, a day after its inauguration. A video of the incident went viral on social media.

Zahir said the registration numbers of seven cars were mentioned in a case over the incident.

The cars obstructed traffic by dangerously overtaking others and exceeding the speed limit of 60 kilometres inside the tunnel and on the approach roads – all of which are strictly prohibited, according to the case dossier.

Besides the racing incident, taking selfies by stopping cars and a vehicle’s collision with a barrier at the toll plaza just after the launch marked the opening of the tunnel.