The central bank has taken an initiative to open special bank accounts for readymade garment workers.
As per the plan, mobile-phone numbers of the workers will be made their bank accounts facilitating transactions through the cellphones.
Bangladesh Bank Governor Atiur Rahman has urged the chief executives of the commercial banks to open the accounts for them.
At a meeting at the central bank on Thursday, he said: “Analysing the current situation after the Savar tragedy it can be said that opening of bank accounts for garment workers, as a measure to tackle emergency situation, is an important matter.”
He said the nominees of the Savar Rana Plaza collapse victims could have withdrawn due wages and financial assistance easily had the workers had bank accounts.
Earlier, farmers, students and the distressed were provided bank accounts at the initiative of the central bank.
The Governor expects the banks having mobile banking services to promptly open accounts for the garment workers.
According to garment factory owners’ associations, BGMEA, there are over 7,000 readymade garment factories employing nearly four million people.
Rana Plaza, which used to house five garment units, collapsed on Apr 24, leaving over 1,100 people, mostly female workers, dead.
Source: Bd news24
