Killing of Juveniles: Why not compensate victims’ families

The High Court yesterday issued a rule asking the authorities concerned to explain in four weeks why they should not be directed to pay Tk 50 lakh as compensation to each family of the three teenage boys who were killed at Jashore Juvenile Correction Centre last month.

In the rule, the HC also asked the respondents to show cause why they should not be ordered to take necessary steps to stop irregularities and mismanagement in all three shishu unnayan kendras (children development centre) of the country.

Secretaries to the ministries of home and social welfare, director general of the Department of Social Services, deputy commissioner and superintendent of police of Jashore and assistant director and probation officer of Jashore Juvenile Correction Centre have been made respondents to the rule.

The HC bench of Justice Md Khasruzzaman and Justice Md Mahmud Hassan Talukder issued the rule following a writ petition filed by guardians of the three boys seeking necessary directives. Lawyer Shanjid Siddique appeared for the petitioners.

The guardians of the three teenage boys, who were killed on August 13, had collectively filed the writ petition with the HC on August 27 seeking its order on the respondents to pay Tk 50 lakh as compensation to each of their families.

Parvez Hasan Rabbi, 18, Rasel alias Sujon, 18, and Naeem Hossain, 17, were allegedly tortured to death by some staffers and senior inmates at Jashore Juvenile Correction Centre. Fifteen others were also injured in the incident.

The injured, who had allegedly been subjected to similar abuse, reportedly said they, including the deceased, were tortured in two phases from around noon to evening on August 13 as "punishment" for their involvement in a scuffle with the head guard of the centre.