Plea seeks Tk 1cr compensation for Dhaka court lift collapse injured

A writ petition was filed with the High Court seeking its directives on the government to compensate Tk 1 crore to each of 14 people who were critically injured in a lift collapse at Dhaka District and Sessions Judge Court on March 7.

Advocate Mohammad Mahfuzur Rahman, executive member of Lawyer’s Family Welfare Association, submitted the petition and also prayed to the High Court to take appropriate legal action against those who are liable for the elevator collapse.

In the petition, he also requested the court to direct the government to replace the old elevator with a new one.

The petitioner, in the petition, also said that the government is supposed to ensure life security of people as per Article 33 of the Constitution but it has failed to protect this article.

The High Court is yet to fix any date for holding hearing on the petition.

What happened on that day?

Fourteen people were injured after an elevator of the Dhaka District and Sessions Judge Court collapsed on March 7.

The accident took place at around 10:10am.

People who were near the spot rushed to rescue those who were trapped inside the damaged lift -- which was set up in 1980, court sources said.

Fire fighters and locals rescued all the injured and took them to nearby Dhaka National Medical College and Hospital for primary treatment.

Later, 13 of the injured, including Advocate Ayub Ali Talukder, 58, Advocate Sultan Ahmed, 30, Advocate Sowad, 35, Advocate Kowsir Alam Mithu, 35, Advocate Al-Amin, 45, liftman Jahangir, 45, bench assistant Md Sumon, 23, and litigant Sujon Mina, 23, were transferred to Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Advocate Shamsun Nahar, 35, was admitted to National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopedic Rehabilitation (NITOR).