MV Nasreen launch tragedy
No compensation even in 14 years
Even 14 years after the launch, MV Nasreen, capsized in the Meghna river, and despite the directive of the High Court, the authorities are yet to provide compensation to family members of the victims.
On this day in 2003, MV Nasreen capsized in the Meghna basin in Chandpur with over 800 Bhola-bound passengers, leaving at least 309 people, including women and children, dead. Many are considered missing to this day as their bodies have not been found.
Family members of the victims have been demanding compensation.
Md Shajahan of Bhola lost 26 members of his family, but did not find anybody even after searching for months. He is passing through miserable times as earning members died in the mishap. Shajahan is desperately seeking compensation to survive.
Family members of the victims did not get any assistance, except a paltry Tk. 15,000 that was given to each family by the government after the accident.
A case was filed in 2004 demanding compensation for family members of the victims.
In its verdict last year, a court ordered the payment of Tk. 10,00,000 to each family and Tk. 100,000 to each injured person. The High Court also upheld the lower court verdict. But the family members are yet to get compensation.
Advocate SM Rezaul Karim, director of the Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST), said nobody knows when the family members would get the compensation.
He, however, said BLAST is working to realise the compensation money for the victims family members.
Justice Nizamul Haque, adviser to BLAST, said they would soon file an execution case to realise the compensation money. He said that, according to the court order, the victims family members would get Tk. 17 crore.
He hoped that they would be able to realise the money after filing the case.
