The High Court yesterday summoned the Rajuk chairman and all of its executive magistrates, authorised officers and inspectors in Dhaka metropolitan area to explain their functions in enforcing building safety rules.
The court passed the order while hearing a suo moto rule over the death of four workers in a lift collapse at an under-construction building, Iris Noorjehan, at the capital's Kakrail on July 21.
An HC bench issued the rule on July 24 following a report headlined "Construction Sites: Safety rules defied" published in The Daily Star on July 23.
In the rule, it also asked the government to explain why it should not be directed to take legal action against the persons responsible for the workers' death.
Nurul Huda, chairman of Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk), its four executive magistrates, five authorised officers and around 34 inspectors will have to appear before the court on August 4.
The bench of Justice AHM Shamsuddin Chowdhury Manik and Justice Gobinda Chandra Tagore also ordered Tanvirul Hoque Probal, managing director of Building for Future Limited and former president of the Real Estate and Housing Association of Bangladesh (REHAB), to appear before it the same day.
Probal have to explain the recommendations of REHAB for ensuring safety of construction workers.
His construction firm was building the 20-storey Iris Noorjehan.
Also yesterday, officer-in-charge of Ramna Police Station Rafiqul Islam, Building for Future Chairman Kazi Anisuddin Iqbal, Tanvirul Hoque Probal, its manager Md Aslam, deputy project director Shiekh Tanvirul Hassan, project coordinator Gazibur Rahman and construction worker Asgar Ali appeared before the bench.
The HC summoned them on July 24 while issuing the suo moto rule.
The court exempted all but Probal from personal appearance before it in this connection.
Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh, counsel for the five officials of Building for Future, told the court they are not responsible for the death of the workers as the lift collapsed due to overloading.
The workers were carrying in the lift construction materials weighting over 1,000kg which was beyond its capacity, Taposh said, although they were prohibited to do that.
The Rajuk is responsible for ensuring safety of workers of under-construction buildings in Dhaka, he added.
Taposh prayed to the court to direct the Rajuk officials to submit reports on their monitoring activities and functions in implementing the safety rules at under-construction buildings in the last three months.
AM Aminuddin, counsel for OC Rafiqul, said his client has arrested the persons allegedly responsible for the lift collapse.
Yusuf Hossain, the lawyer for Asgar Ali, said his client has filed a criminal case with Ramna Police Station after the death of his colleagues.
Deputy Attorney General ABM Altaf Hossain represented the government.
Source : The Daily Star
