Tareen Rahman :
The members of an inspection committee have identified some risk factors during their visits to different garments industries in capital Dhaka and its outskirts. The main objective of the inspection was to suggest ways and help improve the quality of the country’s apparel industries.
As per their advice, the government-nominated specialist team has also made a similar inspection and also sorted out the risk factors. Meanwhile, the government has directed the concerned authorities to conduct a detail engineering assessment (DEA) to identify the defects.
According to the Ministry of Labour, the owners of these garments industries are not obeying the government-nominated review committee’s directives in this regard.
It is to be noted that the team of inspectors have been working together with the European Buyers Arcade, American Alliance and the BUET-ILO Group in cooperation with the government of Bangladesh and the international donors. The three parties have complained that the listed garments’ factories are not following the order of the government-nominated review committee.
In this context, Syed Ahmed, Director General of the Directorate of Inspection (mills-factories and organizations) under the Labour Ministries and also head of the Review Committee said that despite reminding them several times, the garments owners are not responding to their queries.
“We have sought for the advice of the Ministry about how to overcome this problem. I will not name of any factory but can say that a total of 14 factories have taken no initiative to conduct DEA whereas there was the directive to complete this process within six weeks,” he said.
He said, “We have already sent a list of factories which are not following the directives of the Labour Ministry. After getting proper directions, we will take strict measures against them.”
Sources said that the directive was given to the factory owners to complete DEA within six weeks by the Review Committee. 49 factories have been given the directive to conduct DEA. Of them, 14 factories including Jeans Care, Victory Knitting, RSI Apparels and Natural Wool have failed to follow the directive.
When contacted, the concerned authorities of the four industries agreed that they have not done the DEA. They have shown different reasons for the failure. Meanwhile, some factories have shifted their production premises from their existing venues. However, some entrepreneurs said that within a very short time they will complete the DEA process.
European Arcade had surveyed the garments named Jeans Care Limited. The company had been directed by the Review Committee to stop production process after completion of an inspection there by last April. The committee had also directed them for the DEA within six weeks.
M. Shafiullah, Managing Director of Jeans Care Ltd said, “No fault has been identified in our factory. The buyers have also agreed this. The DEA has been conducted in our industry. If the committee wants, the DEA report will be submitted.”
Abu Hanif, Chairperson of Victory Knitting said,” Everything is alright in our industry. All the advices of the Review Committee have been followed by us. Very soon the DEA will also be done.” During inspection, Arcade, Alliance and BUET-ILO Groups have suggested the government-nominated Review Committee to take steps against 84 factories housed in 41 buildings. Of them, the Review Committee ordered total closure of 32 factories while 21 for partial closure. It also directed 49 factories to conduct DEA.
Professor of BUET Dr. Mehdi Ahmed Ansari, who is a member of the Review Committee said, “Owners who have failed to submit the design plans of their buildings, have been asked to conduct DEA. In order to understand the present situation of the buildings, soil test, column strength, etc. have to be assessed. For this, DEA has to be done. Since the entire process is time consuming, so time was also extended.”
When asked why the Garments Industry Owners are not following Government directives, some leaders of the BGMEA said, “In order to transform industries we are to follow the experts advice of the owners’ association. Despite this, it will be quite impossible for them to keep their existence in this business.”
Vice President of BGMEA Shahidullah Azim has said, “The People who are not following the government directives, may be they need not want buyers’ order. To survive in business, all steps have to be followed to remain fault free. If this is not followed then our advice to them will be to step out of the garments’ business.” It is to be noted that after the devastating fire incident in Tazrin Fashions and the Rana Plaza collapse, the international Buyers Committee and Association have taken the initiative to evaluate the Garment’s Industry. So far, the European Buyers Arcade and American Alliance Group have completed their primary step of inspection process. Directives have also been given.
