Staff Reporter :
The High Court on Tuesday ordered the Shipping Ministry, Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) and other respondents to submit all probe reports in connection with the deadly fire on MV Abhijan-10 launch to it within 30 days.
The court also asked for the list of victims killed and injured in the incident took place in the Sugandha River near Jhalakathi in early hours on last Friday.
The Shipping Ministry and the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority have also been ordered to submit reports on the fitness of passenger launches and ships sailing in the country within 90 days.
The High Court Bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman passed the order after hearing two separate writ petitions filed by Supreme Court lawyers Saumitra Sarder and Md Eunus Ali Akond seeking necessary directives on the issue.
The HC directed the district administrations concerned to give necessary financial assistance immediately if the victims of the fire incident applied for it.
The court also issued a rule asking the officials concerned of the government to explain as to why their inaction in taking measures to prevent the launch fire should not be declared illegal.
In its observation, the HC said the officials concerned, who had allowed MV Abhijan-10 launch to cruise without examining its fitness, should have been arrested earlier. Barrister Aneek R Haque appeared for Saumitra Sarder, while lawyer Eunus Ali Akond himself moved his petition, and Deputy Attorney General Bepul Bagmar represented the State.
Saumitra Sarder and Eunus Ali Akond filed two separate petitions with the HC as public interest litigations on Sunday seeking the HC directives on the authorities concerned to give adequate compensations to the families of the victims and submit relevant reports to them.
Lawyer Eunus Ali in his petition sought High Court directive upon the respondents to take necessary steps for giving compensation of Tk 5.0 million to each of the families of the passengers who died in the inferno that broke out in the MV Abhijan-10 launch and Tk 2.0 million to the injured passengers of the incident.
He also prayed to the High Court to issue rule as to why the respondents should not be directed to constitute a judicial commission for the inquiry into the devastating fire breaking out in the MV Abhijan-10 launch that killed a total of 46 passengers till now.
At least 42 passengers were killed the catastrophe that ripped through the launch carrying some 500 passengers from Dhaka to Barguna on Friday dawn while crossing the Sugandha River in Jhalakathi.
More than 100 people were injured in the fire and a total of 68 people are missing. Officials said many of those missing could be among the dead who have not yet been identified.
