Dhaka: The High Court on Tuesday asked the vernacular daily Prothom Alo to pay one lakh taka in compensation for publishing a false report on 10 May on a worker’s giving birth to a child in her factory toilet.

An HC division bench comprising Justice Quazi Reza-Ul-Hoque and Justice Abu Taher Md Saifur Rahman passed the order asking the national daily to pay the compensation money to the female worker within a month.

Passing the order, the court observed that the report on the birth of a child in the factory’s toilet published at the Daily Prothom Alo is baseless and false.

Following an investigation report, submitted by the Gazipur UNO, the court observed that there is no evidence of any such incident taking place in the factory and Hamida did not ask for any leave on that day either.

Deputy Attorney General Tapash Kumar Biswas represented the state while Advocate Asaduzzman stood for the Apex Footwear Factory.

The court also suggested the authorities concerned of Apex Footwear Factory to take legal steps against the newspaper for tarnishing its image.

According to the newspaper report, Hamida Akter, a worker of the factory, gave birth to a child in a toilet of the factory on 9 May. Later, the child was taken to a local hospital where the doctors declared it dead.

While feeling unwell, the report claimed, Hamida Akter had sought leave from her supervisor Ratan Mia who instead asked her to do her work attentively, turning down her leave plea.

Meanwhile, passing a suo moto order following a report published by the newspaper, the HC summoned three officials of Apex Footwear Factory in Kaliakoir upazila, Gazipur, to appear before it on 24 May and explain why a worker had to give birth to her baby in the toilet of the factory.

The officials are - Syed Nasim Manjur, managing director of Kaliakoir Apex Footwear Factory, its inspector Azizur Rahman and supervisor Ratan Mia.

Exonerating the three staff of Apex Footwear Factory from appearing before the court in person, the HC on 24 May asked the Gazipur UNO to submit an investigation report on 26 May.

Meanwhile, the Daily Prothom Alo published a report titled ‘Apex Footwear authorities provide medical service to Hamida’ on 11 April correcting its previous report.

On 13 May, the daily published another report seeking apology for carrying out the wrong report.