Legal notice seeking Tk 5 crore compensation for child Sajid’s death

A legal notice has been sent against the Barendra Multipurpose Development Authority and those concerned in the death of a two-year-old child Sajid who fell into an abandoned and unprotected tube well in the Barendra region. The notice demands Tk 5 crore compensation to Sajid’s family and necessary steps to close the unprotected tube well. Supreme Court lawyer Advocate Md. Monirul Islam Mia sent the notice today (December 14).
It said that hundreds of abandoned tube wells in Rajshahi, Chapainawabganj and Naogaon districts are posing a serious risk to the public. In a recent incident, a child Sajid died after falling into an abandoned tube well in Koelhat Purbapara village of Tanor upazila of Rajshahi. Evidence of negligence and administrative apathy of the authorities concerned has been found in this incident. The notice said that the government has demanded implementation of several directions within 15 days due to violation of the right to life and personal liberty under Articles 31 and 32 of the Constitution.
These include identification and survey of all abandoned tubewells, sealing or filling them at state expense, permanent closure, legal action against those involved in illegal tubewell drilling, formulation of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for safe tubewell management, strict vigilance to prevent unauthorized tubewell installation and departmental action against the negligent officials. The notice also said that if the demands are not implemented within the stipulated time, the matter will be filed as a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the High Court Division.