Farah Kabir, Country Director of ActionAid Bangladesh, speaks at a discussion meeting, held ahead of the second anniversary of Rana Plaza Tragedy, at BRAC Centre Inn in Dhaka on Wednesday. Two years after the tragic Rana Plaza disaster, a rather gloomy picture of the victims in terms of economic, physical and mental condition was found in an ActionAid Bangladesh research survey. The survey report shows that 55 percent survivors are still unemployed, while 44 percent survivors got engaged in various types of jobs. Currently 54.4 percent respondents are facing difficulties to meet their daily needs while 2 percent cannot meet their daily needs at all. It showed that 61.2 percent of the disaster survivors still need to visit doctors on regular basis, 59.1 percent of them are still suffering from depression and trauma. This suggests that physical wounds may have healed in the two years, but the trauma and shock from the incident is harder to recover from, observed the survey revealed on Wednesday in the city in a multi-logue just before the second anniversary of Rana Plaza Tragedy on April 24. Stakeholders from the government, local and international NGOs, garment owners, buyers, and researchers were present at the event held at BRAC Centre Inn. ActoinAid Bangladesh conducted the survey on 1,414 survivors including 915 women and 499 men. Of the 1414 survivors, 70.6 percent responded that they are somewhat healed, while 22.6 percent reported that their condition is getting worse. “The situation of survivors is worse. The survivors don’t go to work. Physically they are in bad situation,” Farah Kabir, Country Director of ActionAid Bangladesh, said. “We should take the responsibility to help them go on with their lives. Government, garment factory owners, other partners should work together,” she added. Compensation issue dominated the event after the survivors, present in the multi-logue, claimed that they did not get proper compensation. The survey shows, in last one-and-a-half year, Rana Plaza Donor Trust Fund was set up to ensure compensation for the affected people with a preliminary target of USD 40 million, which was later fixed at USD 30 million. As of April 9, 2015, in cash and kind PM’s relief fund provided Tk 22,93,58,720 out of Tk 127 crore, the report said, citing Press Wing of PMO sources. Altogether US$ 21.5 million was supposed to be disbursed, but there is still a deficit of $8.5 million. Dr. Mojtaba Kazazi, Executive Commissioner-Rana Plaza Coordination Committee, said, “We have received many letters for compensation than the actual figure received. So it takes times. The compensation depends on the loss and damage of the survivors.” Ishrafil Alam, Member, Parliamentary Standing Committee on Ministry of Labor and Employment, said, “Compensation is an endless debate. After the Rana Plaza collapse, many parties wanted to give money. But we don’t get enough”. “Incidents can happen. But it should not continue. Victims are not getting the justice. It needs to be addressed. We want industrialization. But we don’t want our industrialization by death like Rana Plaza,” Alam added. Vice-president of BGMEA Md Shahidullah Azim said, “We have been working closely with factory owners and other stakeholders to ensure security of workers. We don’t want any repetition of Rana Plaza.” “To improve the situation of survivors and garment industry of Bangladesh, the most important factor is ensuring accountability. The government, owners and buyers should work together,” said Tuomo Poutiainen, Programme Manager of ILO Bangladesh. Amanur Rahman, Deputy Director of ActionAid Bangladesh, presented the survey findings that suggest a number of initiatives including realisation and delivery of full compensation is required to address the mid-term and long-term needs, and further health and livelihood support to the survivors required to resume normal life and work. Formation of a high level multi-stakeholder coordination mechanism including GO, NGO, trade union, brand, manufacturer and development partners was also suggested to oversee the national labour regulations and compliance auditing.
Source: https://www.daily-sun.com/print/business/2015/04/23/499478
