Old Dhaka

File photo After the massive fire in Churihatta of old Dhaka

High Court seeks list of chemical warehouses in old Dhaka

At the same time, the court has also directed to submit the progress reports on setting up temporary 'Chemical Palli (area)' in Shampur and Tongi, and permanent 'Chemical Palli (area)' in Munshiganj's Sirajdikhan. Those concerned have been asked to submit the list by April 17. Along with this order, the court has also issued a rule. The rule asks why the rehabilitation of the victims will not be done with the money of Rs 30 crore deposited by 37 banks for this incident.

The court has issued a rule to know about the initiatives regarding fire fighting system and widening of narrow lanes in old Dhaka. A rule has also been issued asking why no action should be taken against landlords who rent chemical godowns in residential buildings.

A virtual bench of the High Court comprising Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice SM Moniruzzaman passed the order on Tuesday (February 1) after hearing a petition filed by the Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA) in the public interest.

Lawyer Rizwana Hasan said this. He said the court had directed to submit a list of chemical factories or godowns or shops in old Dhaka. The court also asked them to state the progress of construction of permanent and temporary 'Chemical Pallis (areas)' for the chemical business. It will have to be reported by April 17.

A writ petition was filed by several organizations, including BELA and BLAST (Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust), seeking compensation for the fire incident at Churihatta in Old Dhaka. The court passed the order on Tuesday after hearing the writ petition, the lawyer said.

According to BELA, 71 people were killed and many others were injured in a horrific fire that broke out at Churihatta in Chawkbazar, Old Dhaka on February 20, 2019. But no member of the affected families received compensation or ex-gratia. As a result, they are struggling to survive.