Two tragic events took many innocent lives

Ajoy Roy

Published on May 03, 2009

Chittagong Tragedy:

In a tragic fire accident at KTS garments and Textile Mills near Kalurghat over 54 garments laborers (according to official estimate) lost their lives and hundreds received serious injuries. The unofficial sources claims the numbers of dead would be much mire than the official figure. Many dead bodies were taken to unknown destinations claimed the relatives of missing laborers. Among the dead 45 were women. An unofficial organization informed that missing laborers who were inside the mill exceeded hundreds.

How the fire broke out in the ground floor on Thursday evening (23^rd February 2006) is any boy�s guess. One source said that in the evening of 23^rd February a few laboures were mending a stairs with gas welding in a space between the boiler and generator. All on a sudden a spark fell on the generator, which caused immediate fire. The boiler burst out with fire and it spread inside the mill area where hundreds of laborers were working. However, how far the theory is correct no body knew.

It is reported that the factory, owned by one Wahidul Islam Selim, a local BNP leader, has practically no fire protection equipment and or other facilities. It has no emergency exits. When the fire broke out in the four-storied building, it is alleged that security officers asked the workers to keep themselves calm and remain inside. They assured them that fire brigades are operating and soon it would be brought under control. The security man then locked the entrance and silently fled away. The workers finding no way out just were just burnt alive. There were no minimum safety arrangements nor has emergency accident meeting force or equipment inside the mill. The factory owners just defy the ILO specified safety prescriptions to implement.

After receiving the news at about 7-30 .m. the fire brigade workers from Kalurghat and other adjacent areas rushed to the scene. But because of main and the only entrance was under lock and key they found it difficult rush into the building�s inside. The operating chief claimed if the gates were not closed the causality would have been much less and many lives could have saved. Neither the owner nor the top officials were found near the place of occurrence when the operation of fire extinction and recovery were going on.

These officials and the owner must be immediately brought to the justice and put behind the bar. They can just play with the lives of innocent girls for their own profit. They must realize that these girls are helping earning with their day and night labor more that 76% of our foreign exchange earnings. Where is our garrulous finance minister ? Why can�t he ensure the minimum safety arrangements and conducive working environment for the workers of the factory? The business community, the chambers of commerce and other business welfare associations and organizations and finally Bangladesh Government and its charming PM cannot escape their responsibility for series of accidents in the garments and other industrial establishments. They must punish the culprits otherwise resign from the government. Mere routine expression of condolence, sympathy for the dead and injured and directives of proper treatment of the victims to the doctors and hospital authority would not just do. We demand much more from you, our Madame Prime Minister.

Yet another 5 storied building collapsed in Dhaka

After the collapse of Spectrum Garments Industry Building in April in which not less than 72 garments workers were simply killed by the factory owner and Rajuk authority, yet another 5-storied building under construction collapsed with in minutes at 11 a.m. just like twin towers, described by an eye witness. When the building collapsed hundreds of laborers were working there.

Only 16 dead could be recovered and hundreds in seriously injured condition. The DMCH source disclosed that there are 30 wounded persons receiving treatment and 7 died after they were brought to the hospital.

The entire brick-cement-heavy iron structure totally collapsed and fell on to the ground. No body knew how many sons of Adam are lying dead and injured under the heavy debris. The recovery work under the supervision of the BD army in which joined the fire brigade, and common men and laborers shows how inadequately ill equipped we are in meeting devastation and calamity. The rescue team from the fire brigade came at about 1 p.m. but very little they could do because of lack of equipment. Then came one or two small size bulldozers of the City Corporation. These are found too weak to handle the situation. Finally Army arrived at the scene with their somewhat heavy machineries. Those too were found inadequate to deal with magnitude of the catastrophe. Before the arrival of the professional brigades, the common people with their improvised method jumped into recovery operation immediately after the collapse. Many injured and dead bodies these people brought to surface and took to the hospitals. Thanks to their bravery.

The building is located in the Tezgaon Industrial area at the entrance of the road that leads to Gulshan 1. The Rajuk authority in an attempt to shrug off its responsibility, said that it is not the duty of the Rajuk to monitor the condition of would be collapsing buildings. It is the duty of the city corporation. Rajuk said that the said building is being built without the authorized sanction of the Rajuk. Might be it was sanctioned for two storied construction. Rajuk said that the building collapsed because of its inadequate soil test, weak foundation and defective design. It is a revealing story that, if Rajuk�s statement is true, how without Rajuk�s permission a vendor can raise a building under the very nose of the Rajuk, Ministry of Civil construction, led by Golum Abbas Mirza (I guess), and city corporation authority. May we ask who will monitor work and construction of multistoried building? Mr. Abbas cannot escape his responsibility; he must come out with an adequate explanation why Spectrum Garments and the building in question and the likes collapsing and taking lives of the innocent workers.

People can only raise their voice of protests, but remedy lies in the hands of the government. Would our government be sincere and come out with an effective mechanism, just not words.

Prof. Ajoy K. Roy, is a reputed scientist and human rights activist from Bangladesh, He sent this article from Kolkata.