HC orders probe body, issues rule on compensations

FE REPORT
The High Court on Tuesday directed the government to form a technical committee within seven days, consisting of relevant experts, to investigate the crash of a Bangladesh Air Force fighter jet at Milestone College in Uttara, which resulted in multiple casualties.
Additionally, the court ruled for advanced treatment and compensation for each victim, the banning of training aircraft over populated areas, and ensuring fire safety measures in all academic institutions.
The committee is tasked with determining the causes of the incident, identifying any defective aircraft, and  making necessary recommendations.
The High Court also instructed the government to submit a compliance report within 45 days of the committee's formation.
The HC bench of Justice Fahmida Quader and Justice Sayed Jahed Mansur passed the order after hearing a writ petition, filed by Supreme Court lawyer Md Anisur Rahman Raihan seeking necessary orders.
The writ filed as a public interest litigation also sought a directive on the government to form a judicial body to conduct an inquiry over the crash. In response, the court also asked the authorities to take necessary measures so that the students' names and blood groups, and mobile numbers of their parents, are included in their identity cards and to ensure fire safety measures in all the academic institutions across the country.
It also ordered the government to immediately take necessary steps to provide advanced treatment to the persons injured in the incident at home and abroad.
Additionally, the HC issued a rule asking the authorities concerned to explain as to why they should not be directed to ban operations of defective and training aircrafts over the populated areas across the country.
In the rule it also wanted to know as to why they should not be directed to give Tk 50 million as compensation to the family of each of the victims who died in the incident and to give Tk 10 million to each of the injured persons.
Advocate Zainul Abedin, Barrister Kayser Kamal and Advocate Gazi Kamrul Islam Sajal placed arguments on behalf of the writ petitioner, while Deputy Attorney Generals Mohammed Shafiqur Rahman and Tanim Khan represented the state during the hearing.
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