The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court today stayed a High Court order that had directed Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Limited (TGTDCL) to give 5 lakh taka as initial compensation to each of the victims of an explosion in a mosque in West Talla area in Narayanganj.
A bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain passed the order on Tuesday.
Barrister Mar-e-um Khondaker, who filed the writ petition, confirmed the matter to The Business Post.
On September 13, the Appellate Division of the SC stayed an HC order that had directed Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Limited to pay the compensation.
Justice Md Nuruzzaman of Appellate Division Chamber Judge Court passed the order and sent the matter to the apex court regular bench for further hearing on December 1.
The Appellate Division came up with the order today, allowing a plea of Titas Gas against the interim order of the High Court.
Earlier on September 13, TGTDCL filed an appeal with the Supreme Court against the High Court regarding the initial payment of 5 lakh taka in compensation to the families of each victim of Narayanganj mosque explosion.
Barrister Misbahur Rahman filed the appeal on behalf of TGTDCL.
Earlier on September 9, the High Court ordered TGTDCL to pay the initial compensation to the families of each victim.
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 after hearing a writ petition filed by Supreme Court lawyer Barrister Mar-e-um Khondaker in this regard.
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 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.
34 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/teb
