Kazi Zahidul Hasan :Hundreds of garment workers, survivors and rights activists have demanded justice on the occasion of the tragic third anniversary of Rana Plaza disaster that claimed over 1100 lives and injuring nearly 2000. Survivors of the disaster, many of whom lost limbs when the nine-storey building collapsed with a loud bang three years ago, placed wreaths at the site and wept for the dead.Relatives of those who were killed and whose bodies were never found recited the holy Quran and prayed for the departed souls from early morning at Savar and Jurain graveyards in the capital.Moreover, workers and labour rights groups brought out processions and rallies from in front of the National Press Club demanding justice and compensation to the victim’s families and injured workers.They also demanded punishment of the culprits who had been responsible for the disaster.”Three years have passed but the justice yet to be done. Even, no one has been held to account for the disaster,” Nazma Akhter, a labour union leader, told The New Nation on Sunday. She said, police have arrested and charged the owner of the building with murder, along with 40 others. But no one has yet been convicted over the man-made disaster.”The building owner Sohel Rana forced the workers to enter the building to start their shifts despite cracks appearing in its pillars one day before of the disaster. He must be hanged to ensure justice,” she added. Nazma Akhter also demanded speedy trials for those charged in the case. She also called for improved workplace safety at garment factories with participation of global brands and buyers and proper compensation to the victim families.”Buyers must come out to this task as part of their commitment of “ethical buying practices. Their active participation can help transform the local factories into safe workplaces and avert further disaster like Rana Plaza,” she noted.Regarding the tripartite initiatives taken after the Rana Plaza collapse to improve safety standards in Bangladesh’s RMG sector, Nazma Akhtar said, three years after the disaster a small number of factories have fully completed the remediation process as per the international standard which is an unfortunate development.”The process is going through a slow momentum due to lack of necessary initiative from the concerned department, buyers and the industry body further risking the lives of the workers,” she commented. Refuting the claim, BGMEA Vice-President Mahmud Hassan Khan Babu said, “Remarkable progress has already been made in safety standards as per the tripartite initiatives.””The government and the industry owners are serious about taking reform initiatives to make the RMG sector safe and sustainable. But it will take time because of capacity and financial constrains of the government agencies and garment owners,” he added.Quoting the latest information, Babu said, a total of 3,768 RMG units have been inspected by the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh, Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety and National Initiative.”The factories have taken corrective measures relating to fire, electrical and structural safety taking cognizance from initial inspections findings,” he added.The BGMEA leader further said that they are committed to complete the remediation at inspected factories. The remediation would be done as part of our efforts to make the sector fully compliant.
