No significant progress has yet been made in identifying missing workers, paying compensation and improving the socioeconomic conditions of the victims and their families even two years after the tragic Rana Plaza incident, a study report revealed Tuesday. The fourth monitoring report prepared by the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) also sought serious attention from the government, apparel manufacturers, retailers and other stakeholders to ensure smooth delivery of follow-up treatment to the victims and legal issues for the sake of justice in the country’s worst-ever industrial disaster that killed 1,138 people and injured hundred others. It also suggested further attention to the activities under EU Sustainability Compact, Accord, Alliance, National Tripartite Plan of Actions to speed up restructuring and reforms of the garment sector which plays a key role in the country’s economic growth. The report titled “Moving Beyond the Shadow of the Rana Plaza Tragedy: In Search of a Closure and Restructuring Strategy” was released at a CPD dialogue on Rana Plaza Tragedy: Two Years After at BRAC Centre Inn in the capital in the afternoon. CPD Distinguished Fellow Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya moderated the function where Secretary of the ministry of labour and employment (MoLE) Mikhail Shiper and President of Exporters Association of Bangladesh (EAB) Abdus Salam Murshedy spoke as the chief guest and the special guest respectively. While presenting the report that highlighted six issues like debate over number, support for Rana Plaza victims, restructure and reforms of the apparel sector and initiatives of various local and global groups, CPD Additional Research Director Dr Khondaker Golam Moazzem said the debate over the total number of victims is still not over as some 159 workers have been claimed to be missing, which is currently being verified. During the second year, no additional missing workers have been identified, he said. Citing a telephone interview under the study, he said despite various initiatives, the socioeconomic conditions of the victims and their families are not at the same level compared to the condition before the collapse of the nine-storey building that housed five apparel units. He said progress in reemployment of the affected workers had been made during the second year when a total of 2,122 workers were reemployed. “Progress in 14 cases filed during the first year was rather limited as those cases are now under trial and the case filed by Rajuk is under investigation. Speedy disposal of the cases need to be ensured for the sake of justice,” he added. Speaking on the occasion, Syed Sultan Uddin Ahmed, Assistant Executive Director of BILS, said it will not be possible to come to an effective conclusion on the tragedy without ensuring decent life of the victims and their families. “And the support in any form for them should be rights-based, not charity-based and all efforts made by various quarters in this connection need to be institutionalised and well-coordinated,” he said. EAB President and former president of BGMEA Abdus Salam Murshedy said various groups like Accord and Alliance were formed to inspect fire, structural and other safety concerns in the apparel units, which was a good thing. “But lack of coordination among the activities of the groups caused a serious problem for the manufacturers as each group has different observations on safety issues. A uniform safety measure is required to this effect,” he said. He added that many small and medium-size factories were hit hard for not having adequate safety measures following the Rana Plaza tragedy. Mr Mikhail Shiper said more than Tk 1.84 billion has so far been distributed among the victims and their families as compensation. Of the amount, around 1.70 billion comes from foreign sources, especially from retailers and Tk 0.21 billion from the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund. They have recently managed to identify 104 missing workers out of 166, he said, adding that efforts are on to trace 62 others. Debapriya Bhattacharya said the government should take immediate measures regarding around 800 factories, which have no affiliation with BGMEA and BKMEA, to avoid incidents like Rana Plaza collapse and Tazreen Fashions fire. He also put emphasis on considering any fresh move for amending the existing labour law to fix compensation benchmark and other things. “We need to conclude the chapter of the tragedy in transparent way with satisfaction,” he added.
Source: https://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/2015/04/22/89793
