Like every day, on the night of September 4, 2020, Muslims came to pray Esha at the Baitus Salat Jame Mosque in Talla Fatulla, Narayanganj. After praying 4 rakats behind the imam, some went out. However, most of the Muslims are performing Sunnah prayers inside. In between, a terrible explosion occurred from the accumulated gas of Titus. Immediately, the bodies of the people inside the mosque were burnt. Some had no clothes on. After that, the rush started in the area. Burned people were rescued and taken to hospital. A few recovered from the hospital, but the lamps of 34 were extinguished.

In the charge sheet, the committee’s negligence in managing the mosque, indifference, not maintaining it properly, dangerous installation of illegal electricity connection without considering the technical aspects, not taking immediate measures for the safety of the worshipers despite the presence of gas, providing illegal electricity connection to the mosque to the meter reader collector and electricians of Dhaka Power Distribution Company. 34 worshipers died due to the negligence of the gas officials and employees, not properly monitoring the gas line, not repairing the leakage of the pipe, not placing and moving the gas line dangerously.

Meanwhile, the investigation committee report of the district administration blamed Titus, DPDC and the mosque committee. On September 17, 2020, in the conference room of the Deputy Commissioner, the Deputy Commissioner Md. Additional District Magistrate Khadija Tahera Biby submitted the 40-page investigation report to Jasim Uddin. The investigation identified leakage in gas lines, short circuit of electricity, negligence of mosque committee and mismanagement of Rajuk as the main causes of the explosion.

After the submission of the report, the head of the investigation committee, Khadija Tahera Babi, said that in the investigation report, the leakage of Titas gas pipe, the fault of the electricity department, the negligence of the mosque committee, the mismanagement of Rajuk in the construction of the building and the negligence of those concerned in the construction of the road in front of the mosque have come up. Besides, the investigation committee has submitted 18 recommendations to the Deputy Commissioner to prevent these irregularities. In this, various directions have been given in the form of maps regarding the connection of electricity and gas lines to the mosque or government institutions before designing the design with the architect before the construction of the mosque.
Kazi Mehbub Yasin | Senior Correspondent: