Dhaka, Sept 13 – The Appellate Division has stayed the High Court’s order to pay TK 5 lakh to the families of each of the Narayanganj Mosque blast victims. Chamber Judge Md Nurujjaman passed the order on Sunday hearing a petition of The Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company challenging the HC order.
The court stayed the HC order until December 1 and fixed the date for next hearing over the petition.
Barrister Mejbahur Rahman stood for Titas while Additional Attorney General Murad Reza represented the state and Taimur Alam Khandaker for the petitioner.
Barrister Mejbah said, “We’d filed a leave-to-appeal against the HC order with the Appellate Division and sought stay order on payment of 5 lakh to each of the victims’ families. The court granted our application hearing the petition.”
Earlier on September 9, the HC issued a rule for providing each of the victims’ families Tk 5 lakh. The Titas authority will hand over the amount to the deputy commissioner of Narayanganj who will later distribute those to the families of 37 victims.
The rule also wanted to know why each of the victims’ families shouldn’t be provided with Tk 50 lakh, responding a writ petition by Supreme Court Lawyer Maryam Khandaker.
The respondents were asked to explain the issues within four weeks.
Some 40 people suffered burn injuries as all the air conditioners of the mosque exploded during Esha prayers in Fatullah, Narayanganj on September 4.
Locals said the incident took place around 8:45 pm at Baitus Salam Mosque when the devotees had just finished their prayers. An air conditioner went off and sparked a fire inside the mosque. Later, the remaining six ACs exploded there, leaving the 40 devotees injured.
Thirty seven of the injured were taken to Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery. Of them, 31 have so far succumbed to their injuries. – UNB
