HC for compensating Jihad's family

The High Court yesterday issued a rule asking the government why it should not be directed to pay the family of four-year-old child Jihad Tk 30 lakh as compensation.

Jihad fell into an unprotected 300-foot well shaft while playing with other children in the capital's Shahjahanpur Railway Colony on December 26 last year.

His body was pulled out by a group of volunteers the following day, shortly after the government agencies called off the rescue bid, saying there was no sign of the boy inside the well.

In response to a writ petition, the court also asked the government to explain in four weeks why the negligence of Wasa, fire service, railway and Dhaka City Corporation authorities leading to the death of Jihad should not be declared illegal.

The HC also directed the fire service authorities to submit to it on May 15 a list of unprotected pipes, wells, tube-wells, water tanks across the country and life-saving equipment purchased in the last two years.

The court also sought to know why the fire service authorities should not be directed to place before it the information on training methods acquired to save lives of people who might fall into such wells or unprotected places.

The HC bench of Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice Kazi Md Ejarul Haque Akondo came up with the rule and order after hearing the petition filed by Children's Charity Bangladesh Foundation.

The rights organisation submitted the plea on December 28 last year, seeking a number of directives, including asking the government to give adequate compensation to Jihad's family and take action against officials who failed to rescue the boy.

Barrister Abdul Halim appeared for the petitioner.