The High Court on Tuesday issued a rule asking the authorities concerned to explain as to why their failure to implement a 17-point recommendation placed by the home ministry probe committee after the 2010 Nimtoli fire should not be declared illegal.
A bench of Justice FRM Nazmul Ahasan and Justice KM Kamrul Kader issued the rule after hearing a writ petition filed over the Chawkbazar fire incident, reports UNB.
The court also wanted to know as to why directives should not be issued to enforce the existing laws and rules over the sales, hoarding and marketing of chemicals to ensure people's safety.
The court also kept pending the hearing on three other writ petitions over the fire incident that killed 69 people on February 20 last.
The Cabinet, Industries, Home and Law Secretaries were made respondents to the rule which is returnable in four weeks.
Being asked by the court during the hearing, Attorney General Mahbubey Alam informed it that families of the victims would be provided with Tk 100,000 each as compensation.
Mentioning that the amount is too inadequate, the court said they would order that each victim be given Tk 500,000.
At this stage, the attorney general urged the court not to deliver any instant order, saying he would discuss the matter with the top level of the government.
Later, the HC bench said, "It's a humanitarian issue. We aren't delivering any order right now but you must ensure that the amount of compensation is increased."
Earlier on Monday, observing that the Chawkbazar inferno is not an accident, the High Court said someone must take the responsibility for it.
It also said the fire incident would have not happened had the 17-point recommendation placed by the probe panel formed by the Home Ministry after the Nimtoli fire been implemented.
They came up with the observations while hearing three petitions filed over the fire incident.
Four writ petitions have been filed with the HC seeking its directives to provide compensation for the Chawkbazar fire victims, relocate chemical warehouses from Old Dhaka and dismantle unapproved buildings from the area.
On February 20, at least 67 people were killed and 41 others injured after a devastating fire broke out at a chemical warehouse and raged through several nearby buildings at Chawkbazar. Two more victims succumbed to their injuries at Dhaka Medical College Hospital later.
On June 3, 2010, at least 124 people (117 on the spot, others later at hospitals) were killed in a devastating fire that originated in the Nimtoli area an electrical transformer explosion.
