Families of the Narayanganj mosque blast victims on Monday submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister seeking immediate implementation of their six-point demand.
The demands are: Providing jobs to the members of the victims’ families, one-time cash payment to the families, arranging allowances for those who lost their husbands in the incident, renovation of the damaged mosque with prayers arranged soon, repair of damaged roads adjacent to the mosque and ensuring punishment of people responsible for the blast.
The families handed over the memorandum to Narayanganj Deputy Commissioner Md Jashim Uddin at his office at around 12pm.
DC Jashim Uddin said: “We have already sent a letter to the Prime Minister seeking assistance for the families of the mosque blast victims. We are also trying to do something for them with the help of businessmen in Narayanganj.”
“Besides, we have asked the other deputy commissioners to help the victims’ families. The Patuakhali Deputy Commissioner has already taken some initiatives in this regard.”
On September 4, an explosion occurred at Pashchim Talla Baitus Salat Mosque in Narayanganj at around 8:45pm after Esha prayers.
Thirty three people have so far died from the blast while the condition of three others at Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery in Dhaka remains critical.
Fire officials said the explosion was caused by the accumulation of leaked gas from an underground Titas Gas pipeline that somehow came in contact with an electric spark.
Eight officers of Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Limited, who have been suspended over the blast at the mosque, were arrested by CID.
They are managing engineer Md Sirajul Islam, deputy managing engineer Mahbudur Rahman Rabbi, assistant engineer SM Hasan Shahriar, assistant engineer Manik Miah, senior supervisor Md Munibur Rahman Chowdhury, senior development worker Md Ayub Ali, chief assistant Hanif Miah, and assistant Ismail Pradhan.
All of them were based at the gas company’s Fatullah office in Narayanganj.
Besides, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) arrested an electrician named Mobarak Hossain in connection with the explosion at the mosque.
