The High Court (HC) on Wednesday directed the chief factory inspector and the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exports Association (BGMEA) to submit a report before it by July 18 on compensating the victims of the Tazreen fire incident.
The HC bench, comprising Justice Quazi Rezal-Ul Hoque and Justice ABM Altab Hossain passed the directives.
The HC also wanted to know from the chief inspector Md Moshiur Rahman and the BGMEA president Md Atiqul Islam on what criteria they were followed during the allocation of the compensation to the Tazreen victims.
It also asked the fire service department to submit a report before it by July 18 on what actions it has been taken after the deadly fire incident, which allegedly took place due to ‘negligence of the factory owner Md Delwar Hossain’.
A devastated fire at Tazreen in Ashulia on November 24 last year killed at least 112 people and injured many others.
The HC also asked Delwar Hossain, owner of Tazreen Fashions Ltd, to further appear before it on July 18.
Delwar appeared before the HC bench today morning as per its June 9 order.
The deputy attorney general Biswojit Roy submitted the government probe committee report over the Tazreen fire before the bench today.
Earlier, the HC issued a rule asking the government to explain why the people responsible for the incident of fire should not be punished and why the victims of the incident should not be compensated.
The bench however fixed July 18 for passing a further order on the issue.
Earlier on June 11, a government body to probe the devastating fire has found “unpardonable neglect” on the part of the owner but said the incident might have been “subversive”.
The committee, formed by the home ministry, recommended that the owner of the factory be tried under Section 304 (A) of the Penal Code, which hands down only five years’ imprisonment as maximum punishment.
The probe committee headed by an additional home secretary had submitted the report to home secretary CQK Mushtaq Ahmed on December 17, 2012 recommending to take punitive actions against Delwar Hossain and his accomplices.
Delwar, the managing director of the garment factory, ruled out his responsibility in connection with the fire and claimed he was innocent.
Former attorney general Fida M Kamal and advocate Yusuf Hossain Humayun appeared for Delwar advocate MI Farooqui with Jyotirmoy Barua appeared for the petitioners.
Source: The Independent
