Needless to say, following the disaster, inadequate workplace safety and security in Bangladeshi garment factories attracted widespread international scrutiny and condemnation. Various transnational labour organizations, human rights bodies and buying houses network brought pressure on Bangladesh government to take steps to improve the safety standard of garment factories. They joined hands with industry owners and the government to bring improvement in the system. The Accord and Alliance – two platforms representing the North American and EU buyers set up specific mechanism for inspection and monitoring of workplace safety and building condition. We must say garment industry has already witnessed big transformation with over 2,500 factories inspected and certified as safe for working. It is an ongoing system.
But as it appears most victims remained unattended to continue to suffer from joblessness. Media report said of the unemployed, 48.1 percent cited physically weak and 33.4 percent not having the mental strength to sustain pressure for work from injuries they received from building collapse. The fate of the workers, who were still physically and psychologically unfit had not changed and what is to be most condemned is that most victims did not either get any compensation or full amount of compensation and rehabilitation. At least health condition of 13.1 percent got worse, 74.5 percent said their physical health was somewhat stable but their former employers are not putting them to work again. The most significant point is that 30.8 percent of victims are still suffering from trauma raising question who will take their responsibility at a time when they have suffered the worst at their workplace.
We know that the government, BGMEA and international retailers bodies had collected huge fund for treatment and rehabilitation of the victims but most the fund remained unaccounted as to where the money has gone and who benefitted from it. On this day, today we ask the government and labour organizations to bring the truth to the fore. The helpless must be helped and those exploited the fund must be punished.
We know that the building owner is a ruling party man and the trial is facing setback. We demand that the trail of the culprits whose neglect caused the collapse must end quickly. Justice must be given to the victims at all cost.
