Death in ambulance: HC seeks 2 probe reports from shipping ministry, DC

The High Court today sought two separate probe reports over the incident of death of the 13-year-old Titash Ghosh, who died in an ambulance on its way to Dhaka on July 25.

Today, the High Court ordered the shipping ministry and the deputy commissioner of Madaripur to submit separate probe reports before this court by November 7.

The High Court bench of Justice FRM Nazmul Ahsan and Justice KM Kamrul Kader passed the order during hearing a writ petition filed by Advocate Md Jahir Uddin Limon, chairman of rights organisation Legal Support and People’s Rights seeking Tk 3 crore compensation for Titash’s family.

Earlier in the day, Advocate Limon submitted an application seeking High Court directive upon the shipping ministry and Madaripur DC to submit their probe reports.

Advocate Limon told The Daily Star that the shipping ministry has reportedly probed the incident of Titash’s death and found Joint Secretary Abdus Sobur Mondal responsible for the delay of ferry which led to his death

Madaripur DC has also conducted an inquiry into the incident by an Additional District Magistrate.

Neither the shipping ministry nor the DC submitted the probe reports to the High Court, the lawyer said.

The High Court bench will hold hearing on the issue on November 7.

HOW DID TITASH DIE?

Titash, a student of Kalia Pilot Secondary School in Narail, was critically injured in a motorbike accident in the district on July 24.  

A day later, doctors of a local hospital referred him to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for an emergency operation.

The family was taking him to Dhaka in an ambulance, which arrived at the Kathalbari Ferry Terminal around 8:00pm on July 25.

“Ferry Cumilla” was already at the pontoon, but it had its gate closed and was not loading vehicles. 

Ferry authorities said they were waiting for the arrival of Abdus Sabur, the head of Digital Service and Public Service Innovation Cluster and E-Service Implementation Specialist of the Access to Information (a2i) Programme at the Prime Minister’s Office.

The ambulance was stuck on the pontoon and could not reverse or shift to another hospital because of the queue of vehicles in front and behind it.

The ferry started loading vehicles around 10:20pm when the authorities learnt that the government official was close by. Around 11:00pm, the official arrived and the ferry started moving.

Titash died on the ferry, family sources said.