The High Court has ordered Titas Gas Transmission & Distribution Company Limited (TGTDCL) to pay initially 5 lakh taka in compensation to the families of each victim of Narayanganj mosque explosion.
The compensation money will have to be paid to the families through Narayanganj deputy commissioner.
The bench of Justice JBM Hassan and Justice Md Khairul Alam passed the order on Wednesday after hearing a writ petition filed by Supreme Court lawyer Barrister Mar-e-um Khondaker in this regard.
Barrister Mar-e-um Khondaker, who stood in favour of the writ petition, confirmed the matter to The Business Post.
The High Court also said that all parties including Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK), Dhaka Power Distribution Company Limited (DPDC), TGTDCL, Pashchim Talla Baitus Salam Mosque Committee are responsible for the deadly explosion.
Supreme Court lawyer Barrister Mar-e-um Khondaker submitted the writ petition in the form of public interest litigation with the High Court on Monday seeking 50 lakh taka in compensation for each family of the victims who died and suffered injuries in Narayanganj mosque blast.
Advocate Taimur Alam Khandaker presented the writ before the bench of Justice JBM Hassan and Justice Khairul Alam.
The writ petition sought instructions to determine who is responsible for the incident in Narayanganj and for regular maintenance of gas, electricity, water and telephone lines.
According to the petition, the officials of Titas Gas Limited demanded a bribe of 50,000 taka from the mosque committee to stop the leakage of the gas pipe. But the Titas Gas Authority did not stop the leak as they did not get the bribe.
The secretary of the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, home secretary, Narayanganj mayor, managing director of Titas Gas, deputy commissioner and superintendent of police of Narayanganj were made respondents in the writ petition.
Earlier, Supreme Court lawyer Advocate Taimur Alam Khondker filed the writ petition on Sunday. Later, the court ordered him to come with the writ on Monday.
28 people were killed and several others suffered burn injuries in the explosion at Pashchim Talla Baitus Salam Mosque after Esha prayers on Friday.
nh/teb
