Narayanganj mosque blast: HC order on compensating victims tomorrow

The High Court will pass an order tomorrow on a writ petition seeking its directive upon the authorities concerned to give Tk 50 lakh each as compensation to the families of the victims, who died and suffered injuries in the Narayanganj mosque blast.

The bench of Justice JBM Hassan and Justice Md Khairul Alam today decided to deliver the order tomorrow on the petition after concluding hearing on it.

Supreme Court lawyer and a resident of Narayanganj Mar-um Khondaker submitted the petition as a public interest litigation to the HC yesterday, seeking its directive on Titas Gas Ltd to give Tk 50 lakh as compensation to each victim family.

In the petition, she prayed to the HC to order the government to identify the persons responsible for the negligence in repairing the gas pipeline, which reportedly caused the explosion.

The petitioner requested the HC to order the authorities concerned to regularly check the utility service lines, including those of gas, electricity and water, across the country and take necessary measures to make repairs if needed.

In the petition, petitioner Mar-um Khondaker said Titas Gas officials reportedly sought Tk 50,000 from the mosque committee to repair the gas pipeline leak. It did not repair the line, as its officials were not given the money, she stated in the petition.

Twenty-six people have so far died and several others suffered injuries from the explosion at Pashchim Talla Baitus Salam Mosque of Narayanganj after Esha prayers on Friday.

There have been widespread allegations that the explosion was caused by gas that leaked from the underground pipeline and accumulated inside the mosque's ground floor.