Staff Reporter :The High Court has said that the family of four-year old Jihad, who died after falling into an abandoned pipe hole of a deep tube-well of Railway Department in city’s Shahjahanpur area, is entitled to compensation.The HC bench of Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice Kazi Md Ejarul Haque Akondo said this on Thursday after disposing a previous rule issued on the matter. The court said that it would fix the amount of the compensation and mention the authorities concerned who will be liable for giving the compensation when it releases the full verdict.Following a writ petition filed by Children’s Charity Bangladesh Foundation, the court also directed the authorities to take appropriate legal actions against the officials concerned for their negligence that led the tragic incident and shocking death of Jihad. It also asked to explain why should not be taken punitive action against the negligence of Fire Service, WASA, Railway and City Corporations.Moreover, the court also asked the authorities concerned to prepare a list of abandoned pipes, drains, manholes and sewerage lines available in the city. Apart from this, the HC told the Fire Service authorities to submit the list of equipment they bought and used in training during last two years by May 15.The Children’s Charity Bangladesh Foundation submitted the writ petition on December 28 in 2014, seeking the court’s directives on providing the victim’s family Tk 30 lakh as compensation.The HC on February 15 in 2015 issued a rule upon the authorities to explain why the family of Jihad should not be given Tk 30 lakh as compensation for negligence of rescue operation.On December 26 in 2014, ill-fated Jihad fell into the unprotected pipe hole dug by the Railway authorities at Shahjahanpur Railway Colony. He fell through the pipe’s 14-inch opening, which was kept unsealed even after it was abandoned. Rescuers had called off their search after 23 hours, but the locals refused to give up. Three volunteers finally rescued Jihad and rushed him immediately to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) where doctors declared him dead several hours before being taken to the hospital.
