Titas Gas Transmission & Distribution Company Limited (TGTDCL) on Sunday filed an appeal with the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court against the High Court order on payment of Tk 5 lakh initially in compensation to each family of the victims of Narayanganj mosque explosion.
Barrister Misbahur Rahman filed the appeal on behalf of TGTDCL on Sunday.
Earlier on 09 September 2020, the High Court ordered 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 of the victims through Narayanganj deputy commissioner.
The bench of Justice JBM Hassan and Justice Md Khairul Alam passed the order after hearing a writ petition filed by Supreme Court lawyer Barrister Mar-e-um Khondaker in this regard.
Barrister Mar-e-um Khondaker stood in favour of the writ petition.
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 September 7 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 authorities did not fix the leakage 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.
31 people were killed and several others suffered burn injuries in the explosion at Pashchim Talla Baitus Salam Mosque after Esha prayers on September 4.
nh/wi
