No one can evade responsibilities for N’ganj mosque blast: HC

The high court today said that Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk), Dhaka Power Distribution Company Ltd (DPDC), Titas and the mosque committee can not evade their responsibilities in the tragic Narayanganj mosque explosion incident.

So far 28 people have died and several others are fighting their lives after suffering burns as gas leakage triggered an explosion and six air conditioners exploded inside a mosque during Isha prayer in Narayanganj's Fatullah on Friday night.

Around nine months ago, the mosque committee of Baitus Salat Jame Masjid in Narayanganj's Fatullah had informed the Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Limited's zonal office about a leakage in a gas pipe that was beneath the mosque's ground floor.

Unfortunately, the Titas Gas Limited did not pay any heed to the mosque committee's complaint as they could not pay the TK50,000 in bribes, claimed the Mosque Committee President Abdul Gafur, also a member of the local union parishad.

While visiting the spot on September 5, State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid said the mosque may have been built on government land. Also, the mosque has been said to be set up on a gas pipeline.

Meanwhile, a probe body formed by the Fire Service and Civil Defense revealed that the mosque was constructed without any approval of the authorities concerned. The mosque committee did not even take any subsequent clearance.