Dhaka: The High Court on Monday issued a rule upon the Directorate General of Health Services to explain as to why it should not be ordered to ask the country’s all hospitals to provide emergency medical services to those critically injured in any incident.

Following two writ petitions, an HC bench of Justice Mohammad Dastagir Hossain and Justice M Ataur Rahman Khan also wanted to know why the inaction of the administration in saving the lives of Khulna trader Mohammad Ibrahim and Greenlife Hospital conservancy worker Helena Begum should not be declared unlawful and illegal.

It also sought explanation as to why Salauddin Specialized Hospital should not be directed to provide Tk 10 lakh as compensation to Ibrahim’s family.

The Health Secretary and the Inspector General of Police among 11 persons were made respondents to the rule which is returnable in two weeks.

Advocate Manzill Murshid stood for the petitioners while Deputy Attorney General Amit Talukder represented the state.

Ibrahim, who was stabbed indiscriminately by muggers at Sayedabad in the capital in the early hours of January 26 last went to nearby Salauddin Specialized Hospital. However, the hospital refused to provide him first aid and asked him to go to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH).

Although he reached the DMCH, he died before the beginning of the treatment.

Helena was crossing the Mirpur Road in Dhanmondi along with her husband on the same day. As muggers in a car tried to snatch her vanity bag, she was crushed under the wheels of the vehicle and died on the spot.

Advocate Sarwar Ahad Chowdhury and Mahbubul Islam filed two writ petitions with the High Court on Sunday on behalf of Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh attaching newspapers reports on the two incidents.