The High Court has ordered the authorities concerned to purchase savings certificates worth Tk 13.11 lakh for the maintenance of child Fatema, born when her mother sustained severe injury on her womb in a road accident in Mymensingh.
The HC bench of Justice JBM Hassan and Justice Razik-Al-Jalil issued the order in the judgement following a writ petition. The HC bench pronounced the judgment on Thursday (March 30), disposing of a rule issued in this regard
In the judgement, the higher court asked Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Mymensingh to purchase the savings certificates for the maintenance of Fatema and her family.
The HC bench also ordered the Board of Trustees of BRTA to pay compensation within one month. The court also asked to buy savings certificates with this money so that the family expenses of child Fatema, her two siblings and grandmother will be met with the dividend of the savings certificate.
Barrister Syed Mahsib Hossain stood for the writ petition in the court, while Advocate Rafiul Islam stood for the Board of Trustees and Deputy Attorney General TusharKanti Roy represented the state.
Advocate Rafiul Islam told the media that the court asked the lawyer of writ petition to submit an application to the Board of Trustees within 30 days of receiving the order. The court asked the Board of Trustees to pay compensation to the family of Ratna, mother of child Fatema, within 30 days of receiving the application.
Barrister Syed Mahsib Hossain told the media that the Deputy Commissioner of Mymensingh has Tk 13.11 lakh received from various individuals and institutions for the miraculously survived child. The court asked them to spend the money for the welfare of Fatema, her brother Ebadat Hossain and sister Jannat by purchasing savings certificates. Besides, the Board of Trustees has also been asked to compensate for the accident.
Earlier, a writ petition was filed in the High Court last year seeking a direction that the state should bear the child’s living expenses.
Later, the High Court ordered a compensation of Tk 5 lakh be paid within a month to the child’s family. The Board of Trustees formed to compensate the victims of road accidents is asked to pay this amount.
Fatema’s father Jahangir Alam, 42, and sister Sanjida, 3, died after being crushed by a truck on the Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway at Trishal in Mymensingh on July 16 in 2022. Pregnant mother Rahima Akhtar alias Ratna, 32, was hit by the rear wheel of the truck and fell to the ground, later, Fatema was born from Ratna’s ruptured stomach.
The newborn survived, but due to poverty, the child’s family sent her to ChotomoniNibas in Azimpur to support her. The newborn was named Fatema.
For the welfare of child Fatema, a crossed check of Tk 5 lakh received from the Board of Trustees, BRTA Fund, for compensation to the guardian of the newborn killed in a road accident has been deposited in Sonali Bank, Trishal branch in “Ratna Akhter Rahima’s newborn child and two other children’s support account”. Apart from this money, money paid by other people is also deposited in that account.