The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) has said the Rana Plaza rescue operations were an example of national unity, and has emphasised the need to improve the working environment at the readymade garment factories in Bangladesh to avoid tragedies like the Rana Plaza collapse.
At a press briefing at the PMO on Wednesday, the prime minister’s special aide Mahbubul Hoque Shakil said, “People who come here (RMG sector) to find work should not return dead.
“We have to improve the working environment in the sector to ensure accidents like Rana Plaza do not occur.”
On Apr 24 last year, the multi-storied building at Savar, just outside Dhaka, collapsed killing over 1,130 people, mostly workers of five RMG factories housed in the complex.
Bangladesh is the second largest exporter of readymade garment products after China. The $20 billion industry accounts for almost 80 percent of the country’s export income.
The Rana Plaza accident and Tazreen Fashions fire in 2012, which killed over 110 people, had led Western nations and buyers to pressurise Bangladesh to improve the working condition at the factories.
aThese prompted the US to revoke the duty-free access of Bangladeshi products in its market. The European Union also threatened to take tough actions.
Wednesday’s media conference came a day before the first anniversary of the collapse.
The prime minister’s special aide highlighted various steps taken for improving the sector and the aid given to the victims.
He said Bangladesh’s economy was doing well despite a global recession because of the RMG sector and the remittance sent by the expatriates.
“Rana Plaza will be an example of unity as all of us had worked together right after the accident,” Shakil said.
He said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had immediately ordered everyone to put in their best efforts and continuously supervised the rescue works.
BGMEA President Atiqul Islam said the prime minister had personally called him several times for the updates and gave him directions.
Locals, non-government organisations and volunteers had joined forces with the armed forces, fire service, police, RAB, BGB, and Ansar in the rescue.
The rescue was called off after 21 days.
“There’s no precedence of such a long-running rescue effort in case of this type of disaster,” Shakil said.
“The prime minister had strictly ordered that the search could be stopped until there was a single person trapped under the rubble.”
He said 2,438 people were pulled out alive apart from 1,117 dead bodies. Eighteen others died at hospital.
Altogether 884 bodies were identified and handed over to their relatives.
Another 291 bodies were buried at the Jurain Graveyard after DNA samples were collected for future identification.
Police arrested Rana Plaza owner Sohel Rana and filed cases against Rana and the owners of the factories.
Several engineers at the Savar municipality were also sued over the accident.
PM’s donation
Assistance from Prime Minister’s Welfare Fund is being given to the injured and families of the killed.
The assistance includes giving Tk 39 million worth of family savings certificates to 36 critically injured workers, cheques for Tk 123.35 million to the families of 798 killed and cheques for another Tk 27.6 million to families of 164 dead labourers identified through DNA tests.
Shakil said volunteer Ejajuddin Chowdhury Kaikobad, who was injured while taking part in rescue operation, was sent to Singapore for treatment at the initiative of the prime minister and Tk 10.5 million was spent on his treatment.
He said Kaikobad’s family was given Tk 1.2 million after his death.
Shakil said Tk 21.7 million was given as donation for treatment of those who were admitted to hospitals and clinics. A further Tk 5 million was given for DNA tests of those buried unidentified.
Shakil said altogether Tk 221.34 million was disbursed from the prime minister’s fund for the victims of Rana Plaza disaster.
He said several other departments of the government spent Tk 46.2 million on the rescue operation.
Shakil said artificial limbs were arranged for those who lost their legs to the accidentat the initiative of the prime minister and with the help of the Thai government.
“The assistance that has been given is the manifestation of prime minister’s sense of responsibility and feeling of kinship to the citizens of the country.”
He added that the rescue and other activities done by the ruling Awami League and its associate organisations were ‘immeasurable by monetary term’.
Govt measures
Shakil also rattled off a list of measures taken by the government following the disaster.
He said 23 inspection teams constituted already visited 3,497 factories. A total of 392 factories were sued for violation of law.
The special assistant to the prime minister said the government had enforced a new law on health and security at workplace and a new wage structure with Tk 5,300 as the lowest pay.
He said an 11-strong cabinet committee was formed, with the labour and employment minister as its chief, for improvement of the overall environment of readymade garment industry.
The recommendations of the committee are being implemented.
Recommendations on ensuring safe workplace, accident prevention and workers’ welfare made by another committee and led by the jute and textiles minister were also being executed, Shakil said.
A garment village was being developed at Gazaria in Munshiganj on 530 acres of land, according to the aide.
Source: Bd news24
