Pay Tk 5 lakh for each victim

The High Court yesterday directed Titas Gas Ltd to give Tk 5 lakh as initial costs in seven days to each family of the victims, who died and suffered burn injuries in the Narayanganj mosque blast.   

Titas Gas will hand over the money to the deputy commissioner of Narayanganj and then the DC will distribute the money to the victims' families, the HC said.

The court also issued a rule asking the authorities concerned of the government and Titas Gas to explain why the authorities of Titas Gas should not be directed to give Tk 50 lakh to each of the victims' family.

The court said it will hear the rule after the probe committees formed by the government submit their reports on the incident.

The HC bench of Justice JBM Hassan and Justice Md Khairul Alam came up with order and rule following a writ petition that sought its directive on the Titas Gas authorities to compensate Tk 50 lakh to each family of the victims.

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

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 direct 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 Titas Gas officials have reportedly sought Tk 50,000 from the mosque committee to repair the leak in the 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 sustained burns in the blast at Pashchim Talla Baitus Salam Mosque after Esha prayers on Friday night. 

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.

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