Titas suspends 8 for negligence over Narayanganj tragedy

Staff Correspondent

Titas Gas Transmission & Distribution Company Limited on Monday suspended four officers and four other staff for negligence concerning the explosion at a mosque in Narayanganj that killed 27 people.

The suspension came amid allegations that the explosion was caused by gas leakage that some Titas employees refused to repair without being bribed.

‘The company’s image has suffered immensely because of the explosion that also caused massive damage to lives and property,’ said one of the two suspension orders issued by Titas.

The officers and other staff were suspended in two separate orders, which also asked them to explain their inaction.

The suspended officers are manager Mohammad Sirajul Islam, deputy manager Mahmudur Rahman Rabbi and assistant engineers SM Hasan Shahriar and Manik Miah.

The other suspended staffs are supervisor Monibur Rahman Chowdhury, senior developer Ayub Ali, helper Hanif Miah and worker Ismail Prodhan.

They were all stationed at Fatullah in Narayanganj.

The explosion occurred around 8:30 pm on Friday at Baitus Salat Jame Masjid mosque in Khanpur of Fatulla under Narayanganj injuring dozens of worshippers with severe burns.

Police said some 40 to 45 people were inside the mosque at the time of the explosion and they had sent 37 injured to the hospital.

Quoting fire service officials, Aslam Hossain, officer-in-charge of Fatullah police station, said the incident might have happened due to the leakages in the gas pipeline underneath the mosque.