Published on 12:00 AM, September 09, 2020

Victims of N’ganj Mosque Blast: High Court order on compensation today

The High Court will pass an order today on the writ petition that sought its directive upon authorities of Titas Gas Ltd to give Tk 50 lakh in compensation to each family of victims, who died and suffered injuries from the Narayanganj mosque blast.

The bench of Justice JBM Hassan and Justice Md Khairul Alam yesterday fixed the date for delivering an order on the petition after concluding hearing on it.

Advocate Taimur Alam Khondker appeared for the petitioner while Deputy Attorney General Noor Us Sadik represented the state.

Supreme Court lawyer and a resident of Narayanganj Mar-um Khondaker submitted the writ petition as public interest litigation to the HC on Monday seeking its directive.

In the petition, she prayed to the HC to order  the government to identify the persons responsible for the negligence in repairing the gas pipeline which reportedly caused the explosion.

The petitioner requested the HC to order the authorities concerned to regularly check the utility service lines including those of gas, electricity and water across the country and take necessary measures to repair if there is any defect in the lines.

Mar-um Khondaker said officials of Titas Gas have reportedly sought Tk 50,000 from the mosque committee to repair the leak of gas pipeline. Titas did not repair it as its officials were not given the money, she stated in the petition.

Twenty-eight people have so far died and several others suffered injuries from the explosion at Pashchim Talla Baitus Salam Mosque after Esha prayers on Friday.

There has been widespread allegation that the explosion was caused by gas that leaked from underground pipeline and accumulated inside the ground floor of the mosque.