The High Court has asked the government to explain why it should not be directed to give Tk30 lakh in compensation to the family of Ismail Hossain Nirob.
The High Court bench of Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice Kazi Md Ejarul Haque Akondo issued a ruling in this regard yesterday after hearing a writ petition filed by Children’s Charity Bangladesh Foundation.
The court made the secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs, chairman of Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (WASA) and the mayor and secretary of Dhaka South City Corporation respondents to the ruling and asked them to respond within four weeks.
It also ordered the officer-in-charge of Kadamtali police station to inform the court, in three months, of the steps taken against the persons responsible for the incident.
Five-year-old Nirob died after falling into a sewer through an open manhole in the capital’s Shyampur area on December 8.
Barrister Abdul Halim, who filed the writ and represented himself at the court, said the court asked why a common order will not be issued to ensure safety in all manholes, pipes, wells, tube wells and sewer holes in the capital, and directed the authorities concerned to report a list of all sewerage lines and manholes in the capital within three months.
The court also asked to identify the manhole through which Nirob fell and owner of the land where the manhole is located. If the land is owned by Shyampur-Kadamtali Industry Owners’ Association.
The court asked Shyampur union executive officer and assistant land commissioner to find out and report on what conditions the organisation was given the land.
Two-day remand for caretaker
Meanwhile, a Dhaka court placed the caretaker of the manhole through which Nirob fell and died, on a two-day remand yesterday.
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Md Rashed Talukder passed the order after Inspector Md Arshedul Haque, who is also the investigation officer of the case, produced the caretaker, Shahriar Ahmed Shukkur Mia, before the court seeking to place him on a seven-day remand for interrogation.
Shukkur Mia was appointed by Shyampur-Kadamtali Industry Owners’ Association as the caretaker of all manholes and sewerage lines in Shyampur union parishad area.
Earlier on Sunday, Sub-Inspector Md Shafiul Islam filed the case against Shukkur Mia with Kadamtali police station. Shukkur was arrested on Monday.