HC orders filling of all abandoned deep tube-well shafts within 3 months

The High Court has directed the authorities to properly fill all abandoned deep tube-wells across the country within three months to prevent accidents.

The bench comprising Justice Ahmed Sohel and Justice Fatema Anwar passed the order today (23 February), instructing the Local Government Secretary and other relevant officials to implement the directive.

The order came following a writ petition filed in the public interest.

Advocate Mohammad Monir Uddin moved the petition on behalf of the writ petitioner in court.

Earlier, the writ was filed attaching reports of child deaths caused by falling into abandoned deep tube-wells in different parts of the country.

Advocate Mohammad Monir Uddin, a Supreme Court lawyer, filed the petition in the public interest.

He said, "The death of a child named Jihad in 2014 after falling into an abandoned deep tube-well at Shahjahanpur Railway Colony had shaken the nation."

He further said that in December 2025, a child named Sajid died after falling into an abandoned deep tube-well in Tanore, Rajshahi.

The two-year-old Sajid was declared dead after he was retrieved from an abandoned deep tube-well shaft in Rajshahi's Tanore upazila on 11 December.

Sajid was located after rescuers excavated up to 45 feet.

2-year-old Sajid pulled up from shaft after 32 hours, declared dead at hospital

He also mentioned that on 28 January this year, a child named Misbah died after falling into an abandoned deep tube-well in Raozan upazila of Chattogram.

The three-year-old boy, who fell into a 30-feet-deep hole dug for a tubewell shaft in Kadalpur Union of Chattogram's Raozan Upazila, was declared dead at the hospital after being rescued in an unconscious state on 28 January, authorities said.

The child was identified as Mejbah Uddin, son of Saiful Islam from Dakkhin Joynagar Purbapara in Kadalpur Union.

3-year-old rescued from deep tubewell shaft in Raozan after nearly 3hrs, declared dead at hospital

"Citing these incidents, I filed a writ petition. After hearing the petition, the court ordered the authorities to fill all abandoned tube-wells within three months and submit a report," he added.