Writ petition seeks compensation, treatment of Tampaco fire victims

The High Court will pass its order on September 26 on a public interest litigation writ petition seeking a series of directives, one including proper compensation to the families of deceased and injured workers affected by the fire at Tampaco Foils Limited, inTongi.
Thirty-five people were killed while dozens were injured and at least 11 were still missing in the fire that caused the multi-storied packaging factory building to collapse, on September 10.
A bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Ashish Ranjan Das set the schedule after hearing the PIL, jointly filed by Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust, Ain o Salish Kendra and Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers’ Association.
Other directives sought in the PIL, included, physical appearences of the factory owners Mokbul Hossain and his son Tanvir Ahmed before the High Court to explain their positions over the fire.
The HC is also expected to issue a directive to report action taken agaisnt those responsible for the crime.
The petitioners also sought another directive on the Bangladesh Bank to identify the factory’s bank accounts and freeze those after compensating the victims.
They also sought directives to ensure immediate treatment of the victims at the government expenditure and update the HC on monthly basis about the treatment.
Another directive prayed on the factory owner would be producing before the HC the necessary paperwork, such as, approval of the building and the certification and inspection of the boiler.
The other directives would inclde submission of the report of on-going investigation into the fire to the HC and let it know the steps taken to bring to justice the responsible people of the 12 industrial disasters in the past.
Tanim Hussain Shawon appeared for the petitioners while Abdul Baset Majumder for the factory owner.