United Hospital fire: SC extends stay order over payment of Tk 30 lakh to victims’ families

The Supreme Court today extended its chamber judge's order that stayed a High Court directive asking United Hospital to pay Tk 30 lakh as initial payment to each of the families of the four victims, who were killed in a fire at its isolation unit on May 27.

A six-member bench of the Appellate Division of the SC, headed by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain, came up with the order after virtually holding hearing a petition filed by the United Hospital authorities, challenging the HC directive.

Following four separate writ petitions, a virtual HC bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim on July 15 directed the United Hospital authorities to pay Tk 30 lakh to each of the four victims' families.

Today, the Appellate Division asked the writ petitioners' lawyers to take initiative to hear the writ petitions before a regular HC bench and get them disposed of.

The apex court said its stay order will not affect the HC hearing and disposal of the writ petitions, Mustafizur Rahman Khan,  a lawyer for United Hospital, told The Daily Star.

He also said his client need not pay the money to the four families now, following the SC order.

Following a stay petition filed by United Hospital, the SC chamber judge on July 21 stayed the HC order that asked United Hospital authorities to pay Tk 30 lakh as initial payment to the families of the four victims.

The apex court judge also sent the stay petition to the full bench of the Appellate Division for its hearing yesterday.

Niaz Mohammad Mahboob, who moved one of the writ petitions, told The Daily Star today that the family of Monir Hossain, one of the five victims who were killed in the fire, had already been paid Tk 20 lakh as an initial payment by the hospital as a compromise.

Lawyers Rokanuddin Mahmud, Tanjib ul Alam and Mustafizur Rahman Khan appeared for United Hospital while a group of lawyers including Supreme Court Bar Association President AM Amin Uddin argued for the writ petitioners during virtual proceedings today.