The three-month ban given by the High Court on incentives to Dhaka Wasa officials and employees as ‘performance bonus’ has not been suspended. The Chamber Court of the Appellate Division has ordered the hearing of the main case (Writ) in the High Court after hearing the application made by the Managing Director (MD) of Dhaka Wasa seeking to suspend the order of the High Court. Chamber Justice Borhan Uddin gave this order on Tuesday.
Stating that the order given by the High Court is upheld, the lawyer of the writ petitioner, Jortimoy Barua, told Prothom Alo, “The High Court has been instructed to hear the main case, i.e. the writ, quickly.”
Earlier, the High Court gave that order along with the rule on August 16 after the preliminary hearing of a writ. At the same time, the rule sought to know why fixing the price of water without making any rules should not be declared illegal. On July 31, architect Mobshwer Hossain filed the writ on behalf of the Consumer Association of Bangladesh (CAB) on the legality of fixing the price of water and giving ‘performance bonus’ to workers without making rules, including reports in various media including Prothom Alo.
Against the order of the High Court, Wasser MD filed an application (leave to appeal) in the Appellate Division, which came up for hearing in the Chamber Court today. Lawyer AM Machum appeared on behalf of Wasser MD in the court. With the permission of the court, the senior vice-president of the organization, Professor Dr., heard on behalf of the cab. M. Shamsul Alam.
According to Prothom Alo report, it was decided to give performance award (incentive bonus) in the 291st meeting of Dhaka Wasa Board on April 27. For the performance of the post-Corona Pandemic 2020-21 financial year, Dhaka Wasa’s permanent, contractual and deputed officers and employees will be given a cash bonus equal to three basic salaries. In the 286th meeting last January 25, it was decided to give an interim performance bonus of half of the basic salary to the employees. And in the first week of last July, the Dhaka Water Board meeting decided to increase the price of water by 5 percent.