Staff Reporter :
The High Court (HC) on Wednesday came down heavily on the two city corporations of Dhaka for their failure to prevent mosquito menace in the capital even after it passed orders for taking necessary steps to this effect.
“Dengue fever has turned into a terrible situation as 21 to 22 people including children have reportedly died with hundreds of people being affected. There is nothing left for the Dengue fever to become an epidemic. The city corporations of Dhaka could not take effective steps to prevent mosquito menace although we have ordered them in time to this effect,” the HC Bench of Justice F R M Nazmul Ahasan and Justice K M Kamrul Kader said.
During hearing a writ petition, the HC Bench pointed also that the Mayor of DSCC had reportedly said about the mosquito that there
was nothing serious. “How can a Mayor make such an observation even after so many people died and have been affected with mosquito and dengue fever,” the court asked.
It has observed that budget has been allocated and people’s tax money is spent every year to prevent the mosquito menace, but there is no result.
Earlier, medicine had been sprayed from plane to improve the situation, but no sign is found now, the HC said.
Advocate Nurunnahar Akter, the lawyer for the two city corporations, told the court that she was shocked to read the reports of the death of people due to dengue fever.
In response, the court commented that the corrupt people don’t feel bad as their children live in foreign counties and they are not affected by dengue fever.
While giving observations, the HC directed the Dhaka North and Dhaka South City Corporations to take appropriate action against the people involved in corruption and purchasing and importing ineffective medicines for preventing mosquito menace in the capital after conducting an enquiry against them.
It also ordered the DNCC and DSCC to import effective medicine with assistance from the government on an emergency basis and to take necessary measures to prevent the mosquito menace.
The HC also directed the DNCC and DSCC to submit separate reports in this court after complying with the directives by August 20.
During the hearing, petitioner’s counsel Advocate Manzill Murshid told the court that people are dying due to the mosquito menace and dengue fever, but the steps taken by the city corporations are ineffective.
The medicines used to prevent the mosquito menace are also ineffective, he said, adding that Tk 20 to 22 crore is allocated for this purpose but corruption takes place in spending the money.
Advocate Manzill said the city corporations have not taken any appropriate action against the people who are involved in the corruption.
Advocate Nurunnahar Akter told the court that her clients have taken necessary measures including creating awareness among the city dwellers to prevent mosquito menace to recover from dengue fever.
She said the city corporations have floated tenders for importing effective medicines and to prevent mosquito menace in the capital and they need at least six months’ time to complete the process.
During hearing the writ petition filed by Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh, a rights organisation, the HC Bench on July 2 this year directed the two city corporations to take effective steps to prevent the mosquito menace in the capital, and thus control the alarming spread of dengue fever.
The High Court (HC) on Wednesday came down heavily on the two city corporations of Dhaka for their failure to prevent mosquito menace in the capital even after it passed orders for taking necessary steps to this effect.
“Dengue fever has turned into a terrible situation as 21 to 22 people including children have reportedly died with hundreds of people being affected. There is nothing left for the Dengue fever to become an epidemic. The city corporations of Dhaka could not take effective steps to prevent mosquito menace although we have ordered them in time to this effect,” the HC Bench of Justice F R M Nazmul Ahasan and Justice K M Kamrul Kader said.
During hearing a writ petition, the HC Bench pointed also that the Mayor of DSCC had reportedly said about the mosquito that there
was nothing serious. “How can a Mayor make such an observation even after so many people died and have been affected with mosquito and dengue fever,” the court asked.
It has observed that budget has been allocated and people’s tax money is spent every year to prevent the mosquito menace, but there is no result.
Earlier, medicine had been sprayed from plane to improve the situation, but no sign is found now, the HC said.
Advocate Nurunnahar Akter, the lawyer for the two city corporations, told the court that she was shocked to read the reports of the death of people due to dengue fever.
In response, the court commented that the corrupt people don’t feel bad as their children live in foreign counties and they are not affected by dengue fever.
While giving observations, the HC directed the Dhaka North and Dhaka South City Corporations to take appropriate action against the people involved in corruption and purchasing and importing ineffective medicines for preventing mosquito menace in the capital after conducting an enquiry against them.
It also ordered the DNCC and DSCC to import effective medicine with assistance from the government on an emergency basis and to take necessary measures to prevent the mosquito menace.
The HC also directed the DNCC and DSCC to submit separate reports in this court after complying with the directives by August 20.
During the hearing, petitioner’s counsel Advocate Manzill Murshid told the court that people are dying due to the mosquito menace and dengue fever, but the steps taken by the city corporations are ineffective.
The medicines used to prevent the mosquito menace are also ineffective, he said, adding that Tk 20 to 22 crore is allocated for this purpose but corruption takes place in spending the money.
Advocate Manzill said the city corporations have not taken any appropriate action against the people who are involved in the corruption.
Advocate Nurunnahar Akter told the court that her clients have taken necessary measures including creating awareness among the city dwellers to prevent mosquito menace to recover from dengue fever.
She said the city corporations have floated tenders for importing effective medicines and to prevent mosquito menace in the capital and they need at least six months’ time to complete the process.
During hearing the writ petition filed by Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh, a rights organisation, the HC Bench on July 2 this year directed the two city corporations to take effective steps to prevent the mosquito menace in the capital, and thus control the alarming spread of dengue fever.
