Staff Reporter :Though two years have elapsed, Rana Plaza victims or their families are yet to get full compensation despite assurances from different quarters. Over 1,100 workers were killed and nearly three thousand injured when Rana Plaza, the building which housed several garment factories, collapsed at Savar on April 24, 2013.Emotion ran high on Friday when the children and relatives of victims gathered in front of Rana Plaza in the morning to commemorate their near and dear ones, who lost their lives in the tragic incident. Friends and relatives of missing workers also flocked the area to find some solace.However, most relatives of the victims complained of the inadequate compensation, saying that they were passing days through distress for dillydally of payments. Aroti Das, a garment worker who lost one leg in the disaster, said she is yet to get full compensation. She was recovered from the wreckages three days after the collapse, but lost her mother, who was also a garment worker in that building. “I have got saving certificates of Taka 10 lakh from the Prime Minister’s fund. As a compensation of the death of my mother, I have received only Taka three lakh. I don’t know when I will get the rest,” she said.Bithi Akhetr, a widow of a Raza Plaza victim, said she had received Taka 12 lakh including the saving certificates. He husband Anisur Rahman was working at Phantom Garments as floor in-charge. His body was recovered 17 days after the incident. “The compensation was fixed Taka 28 lakh for us. The rest will come in phases. Now I am staying at my brother’s house with two children,” she said.The Coordinator of Bangladesh Garment Workers Solidarity Taslima Akhter said the victims or their families are yet to get compensation in conformity with the rules. “Some of the responsible persons for the disastrous incident are out on bail now. No initiative was taken to make amendment to the laws to prevent such incidents in future. It is a bad sign for our garment industry,” she said. The President of Combined Garment Workers Federation Nazma Akhter said workers are victimized every time due to the negligence of the government and the greed of gluttonous factory owners.According to sources, a committee under the supervision of the International Labour Organization (ILO) initially planned to create a fund of 30 million US dollars to compensate the survivors and the families of deceased workers, but the committee raised 24 million dollars so far.Member and Assistant Executive Director of Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies (BILS) Syed Sultan Uddin Ahmed said the victims are not getting full compensation due to the paucity of funds. “So far, 2909 victims including deceased and injured were given 70 percent compensation. They were selected for compensation out of several thousand applicants. Hopefully, they will get the rest by next June. The number of claims might increase later,” he said. “The fund was created mainly with the money of international buyers. The donation of Taka 22 crore from the Prime Minister’s fund is also included in this fund. But garment factory owners did not have any contribution to this fund,” he said. Roy Ramesh Chandra, General Secretary of IndustriALL Bangladesh Council and member of Rana Plaza Coordination Committee, blamed government indifference and loopholes in the laws for the lack of funds.’It is quite disappointing that the survivors and the dependents of the deceased workers are still waiting for compensations,’ he said. However, Sahhidullah Azim, Vice President of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) said they have spent more than Taka 14 crore for the treatment of injured survivors. Meanwhile, different workers’ organizations demanded full compensation for the Rana Plaza victims on the occasion of the second anniversary of the tragic incidents in front of the Jatiya Press Club in the city. Combined Garment Workers Federation, Bangladesh Progotisheel, Sramik Federation, Sramik Oikya and Bangladesh Sangjukta Sramik Federation have organised separate human chains and rallies on the occasion. They criticized the government and BGMEA for not making any specific announcement regarding full compensation and other financial assistance to the Rana Plaza victims.Different workers’ organizations also placed wreaths at the graves to Rana Plaza victims at Juraine Graveyards to pay homage to their former colleagues.
