Form ward committees, monitor Dhaka’s gas, sewage lines: HC

High Court

Jehangir Hussain

The High Court Division on Tuesday asked two city corporations in Dhaka to form 7-member committee in each ward to monitor regularly all the sewage and gas lines in the capital in order to ensure safety of residents. 

A bench of Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice Ahmed Sohel passed the order and issued a rule after hearing a writ petition. 

Chairman of Rajdhani Unnayan Kartipakkha (Rajuk), Managing Director of Titas Gas, Managing Director of Dhaka Wasa, Chief Executive Officers of Dhaka North and South City Corporations have been asked to form the seven-member monitoring committees involving experts from the departments concerned. 

The bench also asked the authorities concerned to take necessary measures to repair if the committees find any fault with the sewerage and gas pipe lines and submit reports after every eight months. 

The bench also ordered the committees to submit their reports before it once every eight-week and set 16 May for passing further order in this regard. 

The bench issued a rule asking the government to explain in four weeks why its inaction in taking effective measures to ensure the safety of Dhaka residents and monitoring the establishments on regular basis, should not be declared as illegal. 

Secretaries to the Housing and Public Works Ministry, Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry, Local Government and Rural Development Ministry, Chairman of Rajuk, Managing Directors of Titas Gas and Dhaka Wasa, Chief Executive Officers of Dhaka North and South city corporations have been made respondents to the rule. 

On March 12, the writ petition was filed seeking necessary directives in connection with the explosions that took place at Siddique Bazar and near the Science Lab in the city  that claimed 28  lives. 

Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB), a human rights organization, filed the writ petition. 

President of HRPB and Senior Advocate Manzill Murshid stood for the petitioner while assistant attorney general Toufique Sazawar represented the state.

Advocate Manzill Murshid, said “Authorities’ negligence was the main reason behind the explosions at Siddique Bazar and near the Science Lab in the city. The authorities concerned do not check the sewerage and gas pipe lines of hundreds of establishments in Dhaka.”

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