Repair vulnerable school buildings in three months: HC
The High Court yesterday directed the authorities concerned to conduct a survey to identify the vulnerable buildings of primary and high schools and madrasas across the country and to repair those in the next three months.
Local Government and Rural Development (LGRD) secretary, Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) chief engineer and its additional chief engineer have been asked to submit a report to the HC in three months after complying with the order.
The court also directed the authorities concerned of the government to make all such buildings safe, secure and education-friendly.
The HC bench of Justice JBM Hassan and Justice Md Khairul Alam passed the order following a writ petition filed by the rights organisation, Law and Life Foundation.
The court fixed August 21 for passing further order on this issue.
During hearing, petitioner’s lawyer Barrister Humayun Kabir Pallob told the court that many school and madrasa buildings are reportedly vulnerable.
Students are concerned as there are many vulnerable buildings where incidents of death and injury of students are taking place.
Those structures need to be repaired for ensuring students’ safety, Pallob argued.
The HC also issued a rule asking the respondents to explain in four weeks why their inaction to make the buildings and their premises safe, secure and education-friendly should not be declared illegal.
Secretaries to the ministries of education, primary and mass education, health, LGRD, LGED’s chief engineer and additional chief engineer have been made respondents to the rule, Barrister Pallob told The Daily Star.
On April 6 this year, third-grader Mansura, 9, daughter of Najir Hossain Hawlader, died and at least 10 of her classmates of Chhotobaghi PK Government Primary School in Taltali upazila in Borguna were injured as chunks of plaster from the ceiling fell on them.
Following the incident, another HC bench on April 7 issued a rule asking the authorities concerned to explain why they should not be directed to pay compensation to the victims’ families and why their failure to ensure safety and security should not be declared illegal.
Deputy Attorney General Motaher Hossain Sazu represented the state.
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