20 months after Al Ain bus crash and victim’s families yet to receive compensation

Mohamed Nizam Dullah, whose brother-in-law Sirajul Islam was killed in the bus crash, says he now faces the double burden of having to support his own family while also supporting his widowed sister. Show more

AL AIN // The penniless families of the victims of the UAE's deadliest road accident have suffered another legal setback in their fight for Dh4.2 million compensation.

Al Ain Appeals Court has overturned a verdict ordering an insurance company to pay the money.

The victims – 19 from Bangladesh, one from India and one from Egypt – died when a bus carrying 45 labourers from their accommodation to their workplace collided with a lorry in Al Ain on February 4 last year.

The lorry driver was held responsible for the crash. In June last year he was jailed for a year, ordered to pay Dh200,000 in blood money to each of the victims’ families and fined Dh50,000 for manslaughter, Dh1,000 for driving an overloaded vehicle and Dh1,000 for speeding.

The case has been mired in the legal system ever since.

The Court of First Instance ordered the driver’s insurer, Aman, or Dubai Islamic Insurance and Reinsurance, to pay the compensation. Aman’s appeal against that verdict was upheld last month, returning liability to the driver.

He is unlikely to have access to Dh4.2 million, and can take the case to the Cassation Court for a final verdict. Meanwhile, families in Bangladesh who have lost their sole breadwinner are living in penury. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs offered them a year’s salary in the days after the crash, but nothing was ever paid.

“My sister wanted to pull her children out from school as she was unable to finance their education, but I supported her financially,” said Mohamed Nizam Dullah, 44, whose brother-in-law, Sirajul Islam, 45, died in the crash.

Mr Dullah had hoped the Appeals Court hearing would finally bring his sister’s suffering to an end, and was disheartened to be told the case was going to take even more time.

Mr Islam’s wife lives alone as his parents died 15 years ago. She is now entirely dependent on relatives.

“Such cases where a family lost their breadwinner should be resolved quickly so that families can do something quickly for their survival,” said Mr Dullah.

“Now there are two burdens on me. I send expenses to my family and also give to my sister.”

Mr Islam is survived by a seven-year-old daughter and a 12-year-old son in Bangladesh.

“They are very young and this is the age to get education. Education is very important. What will they do without education in this world?” said Mr Dullah, who has lived in Al Ain for 25 years.

“It’s really a very tough time for my sister as she remains very concerned about the upbringing and future of her children, their education and marriage, how she is going to do it all?

“She needs a permanent business so that she can lead her life peacefully and support her family. My sister keeps calling me about the courts development. She called me and I assured her that a court judgment was about to come.”

The Bangladesh embassy in Abu Dhabi said it would continue to pursue the matter in the courts until the workers’ families receive the compensation they are due.

“We respect the court rulings … and will continue to pursue the judicial procedures for the rights of our poor workers,” said Latiful Haq Kazmi, the labour counsellor at the embassy.

“We can also consider approaching the Supreme Court for the rights of workers who lost their breadwinners.”

The Bangladeshi ambassador, Muhammad Imran said: “We are hopeful and confident in the judicial system of the country and hope that justice will be done soon for the families of the victims.”