The Appellate Division of Supreme Court on Sunday stayed a High Court order that had directed the authorities of United Hospital to pay Tk 30 lakh each to the families of four out of five victims killed in a fire at the hospital on May 27, 2020.
Chamber Judge of the Appellate Division Justice Md Nuruzzaman passed the order.
Advocate Md Mostafizur Rahman stood for the hospital authorities while Advocate Muntasir Uddin and Anik R Haque represented the writ petitioner.
On January 11, the High Court ordered the authorities of United Hospital to pay the compensation to the victims’ families within 15 days.
It also issued a rule asking the government to explain why directives should not be given to the authorities concerned to provide Tk 15 crore to the families of the victims as compensation.
Later, the hospital authorities filed a review appeal with the SC challenging the HC order.
Earlier on July 14,last year, the HC directed the hospital authorities to pay the four victims Tk 30 lakh as compensation.
On July 21, 2020, the Chamber Judge Justice Md Nuruzzaman stayed the High Court order.
The Appellate Division on August 20, last year, extended the stay order on a High Court directive that had asked to pay Tk 30 lakh to each of the families of four out of five victims.
The court did not issue any order over the family of Monir Hossain, who was also killed in the fire, as they settled the matter through out-of-court negotiations with the hospital authorities.
On May 27, 2020, a fire broke out at the coronavirus isolation unit of the United Hospital that killed four men and one woman.
A case was filed against the hospital authorities with Gulshan Police Station on charge of "death by negligence".
