A motorcyclist was killed and a person riding pillion injured when a bus, carrying policemen, driving in the wrong direction hit the two-wheeler, in the city’s Banani area yesterday. Nushrat Jahan Mukta, Assistant Commissioner of Police (Gulshan Traffic Zone), said the accident took place around 4:30pm on road No. 27 near Kakoli. "We have detained the bus driver," she said, adding that senior officers visited the spot. Talking to The Independent over phone, Inspector Salauddin Ahmed, officer-in-charge of Banani police station, said the victim was identified as Reaz Uddin Topu, final year BBA student at Asha University in the Shamoli area. He was also a part-time employee of an IT firm. The injured pillion rider, Rafin Sarker, was a classmate of Reaz. He said that after attending a launching programme at Radisson Hotel, they were returning home at Nakhalpara in the city. A bus carrying police personnel was speeding from the opposite direction in the same lane. It hit the bike, leaving Reaz critically injured. He was rushed to Kurmitola General Hospital nearby, but was declared dead, Rafin added. After the accident, local people gathered at the spot, blocked the road for about half-an-hour and vandalised the police bus. They also tried to vandalise other vehicles. Additional police force was rushed to the spot and the situation was brought under control. Inspector Salauddin Ahmed said the bus was carrying policemen on duty at the Banani police outpost.He said: “We will investigate the incident and take action accordingly.” About the punishment for driving in the opposite direction in the wrong lane, an Assistant Commissioner of Police (Traffic Demra Zone), said normally a traffic sergeant can fine the driver Tk. 250. However, when traffic sergeants are on special drive, the amount goes up to Tk. 500. He said if an executive magistrate conducts a mobile court, he can hand down a maximum of two years’ jail for driving in the wrong lane. About driving in the wrong lane by policemen, he said: “This is done only in emergency situations. In case of a fire, or any other incident when we need to rush, we may have to take the wrong lane.” According to the Motor Vehicles Ordinance, 1983, whoever drives a vehicle at a speed or in a manner which is dangerous for the public, shall be punishable on a first conviction for the offence with imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months, or with fine which may extend to Tk. 500, and his driving licence shall be suspended for a specified period.