Garment fires being staged in planned way: PM
Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS)
SANGSAD BHABAN, Nov 26 (BSS) - Leader of the House and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today said the incidents of fire in garment industries are being staged in a planned way to destroy the country's garment sector.
"It is being understood from the incidents that who commit such crimes with which intention. Once attacks were made on police, now the garment factories are being burnt," she said while participating in the obituary reference on the deaths of garment workers in Ashulia garment fire and 13 people in Chittagong overpass guarder collapse on Saturday.
The Leader of the House said the garment sector brings highest foreign exchange and urged all including workers and employers to be alert about the suicidal activities in the garment industries.
"I call upon you to detain those who carrying out subversive activities and take necessary actions against the culprits," she said.
In this connection, the Prime Minister referred to the arrest of two persons- Sumi Begum and Zakir Hossain---who were held for trying to set fire to Bebunia Garment Factory which was caught in the CCTV of the factory.
Sumi Begum has confessed that she committed such a crime in exchange for only Taka 20,000 and Zakir Hossain helped her to commit the crime," the PM said adding she herself saw the video footage of the incident
She said the garment factory is the medium for earning bread and butter of the women. So why they are engaged in such destructive activities for a few amount of money. Those who remain behind the scene should be tracked down, Sheikh Hasina said.
She listed various government steps for the development of women workers engaged in the garment industry.
The Prime Minister also urged the countrymen including labour leaders to refrain from provocative activities after accidents in garment or other industries. "Provide help to the victims after any accident instead of resotring to provocative activities," she said, adding those fanning the provocative activities should be identified.
Terming the Ashulia fire incident as horrific and regrettable, she said Fire Brigade personnel were rushed to the scene immediately after the incident. Later, BGB, Army and RAB worked jointly to douse the flame and rescue the victims.
"It is a very regrettable incident that a huge number of workers were charred in the fire, and I don't know when this game with life will be stopped," she said.
The Prime Minister said 109 bodies were recovered after the fire in Tazrin Garment in Ashulia and of them 60 persons were identified. The rest of the victims would be identified through DNA test and they would be buried tomorrow, she said.
"After the accident, I round-the-clock inquired about the situation and monitored the rescue operation. We have made arrangement for burial of the killed and treatment for the injured," she said.
Sheikh Hasina said she also sent the senior leaders of her party to the scene to participate in the rescue operation.
The Leader of the House said the government has given Taka 20,000 to each of the family of the killed workers, while the Labour Ministry announced allocation of Taka one crore for the fire victims. Assistance would be also provided from the Prime Minister's Welfare Fund, she said.
Sheikh Hasina prayed for eternal peace of the victims and conveyed deep sympathy to the bereaved families.
Senior Awami League leader and veteran parliamentarian Tofail Ahmed, Primary and Mass Education Minister Afsarul Amin, Jatiya Party leader A B M Ruhul Amin Hawlader, Engineer Mosharraf Hossain , Rashed Khan Menon and Shahriar Alam also took part in the discussion.
Taking the floor, Tofail Ahmed termed the fire incident in Ashulia garment factory a pre-planned incident.
He demanded a full-fledged investigation to unearth the mystery behind the fire incident that happened at a time when Bangladesh's garment industry is going to take position of becoming the world's number one sector and when the trials of war criminals are on.
"There is the politics behind the incident and I think conspiracy is being hatched to destabilize the country," he added.
A B M Ruhul Amin Howlader demanded to form a judicial inquiry committee to avert such incidents in future. He also urged the government to provide more compensation to the victim families.
Initiating the discussion, Workers Party President Rashed Khan Menon said fires in garment factories have become a regular phenomenon as maintaining compliance is being ignored for long in the country's highest export earning sector.
He said such incidents are recurring one after another as governments could not take legal actions against the garment owners due to their failure to maintain compliance in the factories.
He urged the government to provide adequate treatment to the injured of the two incidents and more compensation to the victims' families.
