Judicial body to inquire failure in containing dengue

The High Court yesterday set up a two-member judicial probe committee to identify the reasons for the failure of the authorities concerned in taking appropriate measures for the eradication of Aedes mosquitoes and in preventing dengue and chikungunya.

The committee will be headed by a district judge while another member will be a representative of the LGRD ministry, not below the rank of joint secretary.

The probe body will inquire into the reasons of the failure of Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) and Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) in preventing dengue and chikungunya this year. The court also said the committee may take expert evidence and assistance from icddr,b, Department of Plant Protection and Institute of Public Health, as well as professors or researchers of Dhaka University and Jahangirnagar University and any other relevant experts to ascertain the effectiveness of the insecticides used and to recommend future programmes.  

The bench of Justice Tariq ul Hakim and Justice Md Iqbal Kabir Lytton came up with the order during hearing a suo moto (voluntary) rule and asked the probe committee to submit a report by January 15 next year.

During yesterday’s hearing, Deputy Attorney General Kazi Mainul Hasan submitted a report from the health ministry to the HC saying that 112 people have died so far in dengue fever across the country this year.

Barrister Toufiq Inam and Advocate M Sayed Ahmed appeared for DNCC and DSCC respectively.