Provide compensation for Barguna schoolgirl’s death: HC

The High Court today issued a rule asking the respondents to explain in four weeks why they should not be directed to provide adequate and proper compensation to the family of a Borguna school student who died and to her classmates who were injured as chunks of its building’s ceiling plaster fell on them.

Third-grader student Mansura, 9, daughter of Najir Hossain Hawlader, died in her classroom in PK Government Primary School at Taltali in Borguna as chunks of its building’s ceiling plaster fell on her on Saturday. At least 10 more students were injured in the incident at the school.

In the rule, the HC asked the respondents to show cause why their failure to ensure safety and security of the school which caused the death of the student and injury to her classmates should not be declared illegal.

Secretary to the ministry of primary and mass education, deputy commissioner and district education officer of Borguna and its Taltali upazila education officer and president of the governing body of PK Government Primary School at Taltali have been made respondents to the rule.   

The HC bench of Justice FRM Nazmul Ahasan and Justice KM Kamrul Kader came up with the rule after hearing a writ petition filed by Advocate Md Istiak Ahmed, a Supreme Court lawyer, seeking necessary directive on the respondents to provide adequate compensation to the family of Mansura and to her classmates who were injured in the incident.

Barrister M Mainul Isam appeared for the writ petitioner while Deputy Attorney General Abdullah Al Mahmud Bashar represented the state.

Meanwhile, two other SC lawyers -- Hasan Tarek Polash and Md Kawsar submitted another writ petition to the HC seeking its directive upon the government to pay Tk 1 crore to the family of Mansura and Tk 10 lakh to each of the 10 students who were injured in the incident took.

The petitioners also requested the court to order the authorities concerned to take steps for proper treatment of the injured students.

In the petition, the lawyers urged the court to issue a rule asking the authorities concerned to explain why they should not be directed to conduct a survey to identify the vulnerable structures of government and non-government schools across the country.

The HC may hear the petition today.