Compensation for United Hospital fire claims to be settled by July 11: HC

The High Court has directed the United Hospital to settle the demand for compensation for the victims of the fire that killed five people at the hospital by July 11.

If the United Hospital does not settle the compensation claim within that day, the court will set the amount of compensation on July 12.

Justice M Enayetur Rahim's Virtual High Court bench passed the order on Monday.

Barrister Muntasir Uddin Ahmed and Syed Ridwan Hasan stood for the applicant for compensation. Barristers Rokon Uddin Mahmud and Mustafizur Rahman Khan stood for United Hospital.

Following the order, lawyer Barrister Muntasir Uddin Ahmed said, "A long hearing was held on Monday as per the pre-arranged date. After hearing both sides, the court asked the victim's family to apply to the hospital for compensation."

He also said, "The court ordered the hospital to resolve the applications by July 11, otherwise the court would fix the amount of compensation and pass an order on July 12."

On May 30, Lawyer Niaz Mahmood filed the writ petition seeking necessary directives to investigate and demand compensation for the deaths of five people in an AC blast at the Coronavirus Isolation Unit of United Hospital in Gulshan.

Following the court's order on the writ petition, the High Court sought separate reports from the Inspector General of Police, fire brigade and RAJUK on the incident.

Later, three reports submitted to the court revealed negligence of the part of the hospital.

On the night of May 27, an AC explosion started a fire in the coronavirus isolation unit of United Hospital. Later the fire service brought the fire under control. Five bodies were later recovered from the spot. Among the dead were four men and a woman.