HC summons Railway DG for not paying compensation to Jihad's family

The High Court today summoned the director general of Bangladesh railway to appear before it on August 14 for not complying with its directive over paying compensation to the parents of four-year-old Jihad, who fell into a deep shaft in Dhaka's Shahjahanpur area in 2014.

Md Amzad Hossain, director general of Bangladesh Railway, will have to appear before the HC bench of Justice Md Ashfaqul Islam and Justice Mohammad Ali by 10:30am on August 14 to explain why his office has not paid the compensation.

The HC bench today passed the summons order during hearing a contempt of court petition filed by the Children's Charity Bangladesh Foundation, a rights organisation, against three government officials including Amzad Hossain.

Following the same petition, the HC earlier on March 1 this year issued a contempt of court rule against three government high officials for not paying Tk 20 lakh as compensation to the parents of Jihad in line with its directive.

Two other officials are Brig Gen Ali Ahmad Khan, director general of Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defence, and its director (operation and maintenance) Maj Shakil Newaz.

In the rule, the HC asked them to explain in four weeks why contempt of court proceedings should not be initiated against them for not complying with its order on paying Tk 20 lakh as compensation to Jihad's parents.

Petitioner's lawyer Barrister Abdul Halim told The Daily Star that following a writ petition, the HC on February 18, 2016 had delivered its short judgment directing the respondents to pay compensation to Jihad's family but the court had not specified any amount of the compensation.

The HC on October 8 last year released the full verdict of the case asking the respondents to pay Tk 20 lakh as compensation to his parents.

As per the directive, Bangladesh Railway and Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defence were supposed to pay Tk 10 lakh each within 90 days, he said, adding that the respondents had not paid the money yet although the time period expired on January 10.

Their action of not paying the compensation is tantamount to contempt of court, he said.

Barrister Halim said the HC may pass an order on the director general of Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defence and its director (operation and maintenance) after hearing explanation from the Bangladesh Railway’s director general.

Jihad fell into an unprotected well shaft while playing with other children in Shahjahanpur Railway Colony on December 26, 2014.

His body was pulled out by a group of volunteers the following day, shortly after the government agencies called off the rescue bid, saying there was no sign of the boy inside the well.