Staff Reporter :
The High Court (HC) on Monday observed that the incident of Chawkbazar fire cannot be termed only an accident, but it was an unexpected incident and somebody has to take the responsibility for this incident.
The HC also observed that if the recommendations made by the relevant probe committee after the 2010 Nimtoli tragedy had been implemented, the incident of Chawkbazar fire might have not taken place.
After the Nimtoli tragedy, a probe committee formed by the government had made a 17-point recommendations.
It suggested shifting of warehouses to nonresidential areas, enforcing Fire Prevention and Extinguishing Rules 2003 and Bangladesh National Building Code, installing separate hydrant points in the city’s different areas, forming a cross-functional licence issuing body and updating school and college textbooks to raise awareness from the early age.
Yesterday, the HC said, the administration had the responsibility to implement the recommendations.
The HC Bench of Justice F R M Nazmul Ahasan and
Justice K M Kamrul Kader passed these observations while holding hearing on three writ petitions filed in connection with the Chawkbazar fire.
The court said, the image of the country is damaged due to recurrence of such incidents.
Owners of many buildings at Old Dhaka live in posh areas like Gulshan and Banani after renting their buildings as chemical godowns at a handsome rent, the court said, adding that the city corporation authorities pretend as if they had not seen it.
Deputy Attorney General Abdullah Al Mahmud Bashar told the court that the government is sincere to solve the problems.
Then the court said, it is not possible only for the Prime Minister to run the country though she (PM Sheikh Hasina) has done many things.
The Prime Minister had adopted two daughters of the victims of Nimtoli fire tragedy, it said.
The HC Bench fixed 2:00 pm today (Tuesday) for resuming the hearing on the petitions.
Barrister Md Ruhul Quddus Kazal, Advocate Amit Das Gupta and Advocate Eunus Ali Akond appeared for the petitioners.
Four separate writ petitions were filed with the HC on February 24 in connection with the Chawkbazar fire, with different prayers including compensation for the victims’ families and punishment for those responsible for the incident. But, the court heard three of the petitions yesterday.
Advocate Eunus Ali Akond filed one of the writ petitions seeking HC directive on the government to compensate each of the victim families with Tk 30 lakh.
He submitted the petition also seeking HC order on the government to form a judicial inquiry commission to find out the cause behind the fire at Chawkbazar in Old Dhaka to identify those responsible for the blaze and take punitive action against them.
Meanwhile, three other SC lawyers and an Old Dhaka resident have filed three separate writ petitions with the HC in connection with the same incident.
Among them, Advocate Z I Khan Panna and Barrister Nur Mohammad Azmi, Barrister Khandker Md Sayedul Kawser submitted two separate writ petitions praying to the HC to direct the government to relocate the chemical warehouses from Old Dhaka as per recommendations from the committee formed by the government in 2010 after the Nimtoli tragedy.
Old Dhaka resident Md Zabed Miah submitted a writ petition requesting the HC to issue a rule asking the authorities concerned to explain as to why they should not be directed to remove chemical warehouses and gas cylinders kept for commercial purpose from the area.
The High Court (HC) on Monday observed that the incident of Chawkbazar fire cannot be termed only an accident, but it was an unexpected incident and somebody has to take the responsibility for this incident.
The HC also observed that if the recommendations made by the relevant probe committee after the 2010 Nimtoli tragedy had been implemented, the incident of Chawkbazar fire might have not taken place.
After the Nimtoli tragedy, a probe committee formed by the government had made a 17-point recommendations.
It suggested shifting of warehouses to nonresidential areas, enforcing Fire Prevention and Extinguishing Rules 2003 and Bangladesh National Building Code, installing separate hydrant points in the city’s different areas, forming a cross-functional licence issuing body and updating school and college textbooks to raise awareness from the early age.
Yesterday, the HC said, the administration had the responsibility to implement the recommendations.
The HC Bench of Justice F R M Nazmul Ahasan and
Justice K M Kamrul Kader passed these observations while holding hearing on three writ petitions filed in connection with the Chawkbazar fire.
The court said, the image of the country is damaged due to recurrence of such incidents.
Owners of many buildings at Old Dhaka live in posh areas like Gulshan and Banani after renting their buildings as chemical godowns at a handsome rent, the court said, adding that the city corporation authorities pretend as if they had not seen it.
Deputy Attorney General Abdullah Al Mahmud Bashar told the court that the government is sincere to solve the problems.
Then the court said, it is not possible only for the Prime Minister to run the country though she (PM Sheikh Hasina) has done many things.
The Prime Minister had adopted two daughters of the victims of Nimtoli fire tragedy, it said.
The HC Bench fixed 2:00 pm today (Tuesday) for resuming the hearing on the petitions.
Barrister Md Ruhul Quddus Kazal, Advocate Amit Das Gupta and Advocate Eunus Ali Akond appeared for the petitioners.
Four separate writ petitions were filed with the HC on February 24 in connection with the Chawkbazar fire, with different prayers including compensation for the victims’ families and punishment for those responsible for the incident. But, the court heard three of the petitions yesterday.
Advocate Eunus Ali Akond filed one of the writ petitions seeking HC directive on the government to compensate each of the victim families with Tk 30 lakh.
He submitted the petition also seeking HC order on the government to form a judicial inquiry commission to find out the cause behind the fire at Chawkbazar in Old Dhaka to identify those responsible for the blaze and take punitive action against them.
Meanwhile, three other SC lawyers and an Old Dhaka resident have filed three separate writ petitions with the HC in connection with the same incident.
Among them, Advocate Z I Khan Panna and Barrister Nur Mohammad Azmi, Barrister Khandker Md Sayedul Kawser submitted two separate writ petitions praying to the HC to direct the government to relocate the chemical warehouses from Old Dhaka as per recommendations from the committee formed by the government in 2010 after the Nimtoli tragedy.
Old Dhaka resident Md Zabed Miah submitted a writ petition requesting the HC to issue a rule asking the authorities concerned to explain as to why they should not be directed to remove chemical warehouses and gas cylinders kept for commercial purpose from the area.
