HC forms committee to probe ‘negligence’ in controlling dengue

The High Court on Tuesday formed a committee to find whether there was any failure or negligence in controlling mosquito-borne diseases like dengue, reports news agency UNB.

The bench of justice Tariq ul Hakim and justice Md Iqbal Kabir Lytton passed the order and asked the committee to submit a report by 15 January 2020.

The committee will be headed by a judge of Dhaka district and sessions judge court. Another member will be a local government ministry official (not below the rank of joint secretary).

Barrister Taufiq Inam Tipu represented Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) while deputy attorney general barrister Kazi Mainul Hasan stood for the state in the court.

The HC judges also asked the committee members to take assistance from icddr,b, Dhaka University and Jahangirnagar University.

Deputy attorney general Kazi Mainul Hosen submitted a report to the HC saying that 112 people have died so far in dengue across the country this year.

The High Court on Wednesday asked the government to inform it by 11 November to inform the actual number of dengue-related deaths.

It also fixed 11 November for the next hearing after the two city corporations of Dhaka filed petition seeking time to submit report about progress of steps to control the spread of dengue.

On 28 August, the High Court ordered the government to inform it about progress of steps to control the spread of dengue. The city corporations sought time from the court to file the report.

On 4 July, the court on its own volition issued a rule ordering to take steps within 24 hours to control the spread the mosquitoes responsible for diseases like dengue and chikungunya.