The High Court is scheduled for Sunday to hear a committee report that proposed Tk 14.51 lakh and Tk 1.5 lakh as the highest and lowest compensation for victims of Rana Plaza collapse. The bench of Justice Mirza Hussain Haider and Justice Abdur Rob on April 20 posted for Sunday its order on the report after the Supreme Court registrar’s office placed the report before the bench. The committee headed by General Officer Commanding of the Nine Infantry Division of the Bangladesh Army stationed in Savar, formed in accordance with an order suo moto issued by the bench on April 30, 2013, submitted the report to the registrar’s office on January 23, 2014, making 16-point recommends on compensations. The committee recommended Tk 14.51 lakh as compensation for each of the workers died or went missing or became permanently disabled in the collapse of the nine-storey building, which housed five apparel factories, on April 24, 2013. It recommended that Tk 7.50 lakh should be paid for each of the workers who lost one limb, Tk 4.50 lakh for each of the workers in need of long-term treatment and Tk 1.50 for each of the workers who became mentally imbalanced. The committee set the compensation for the killed or missing workers considering individual worker’s monthly wage of Tk 5,000 as ‘typical case’ [minimum standard case]. The amount of compensations for a deceased or missing worker was set considering Tk 25,000 for burial cost, Tk 60,000 as grant for once, Tk 1.80 lakh as welfare allowance (Tk 1,000 per month) up to 67 years of age or for 15 years, Tk 5 lakh for joint insurance fund and Tk 6 lakh for pension. The report said that 1,142 people died in the building collapse. Army could identify 261 of the 329 missing workers on the list prepared by district administration, said the report. It said that 189 workers were taking permanent treatments. The committee said that the money the victims received as donations from different individuals or institutions should not be adjusted to the proposed compensations, but the money they received from the Prime Minister’s Office or from the public authorities should be adjusted as compensations. In response to a call from prime minister Sheikh Hasina, government and non-government organisations, banks, insurance companies, schools, colleges and a good number of individuals, donated Tk 127.67 crore to her relief fund between April 29, 2013 and July 8, 2014, agriculture minister Matia Chowdhury told parliament on July 14, 2014. The report said that the compensation should be given at once, injured workers should get free treatment until recovery, Bangladesh Garment Manufacturuers and Exporters Association would make job arrangements for all workers who lost their jobs and capable to work. Donation, compensation and termination benefit have to be considered separately and all workers will be entitled to get termination benefit from respective employers, the report said. The committee said that the compensations should be collected from the Rana Plaza owner, the owners of factories, BGMEA, and foreign buyers. It set the amount of compensation that was opposed by BGMEA, which had asked the committee to lower the amount of compensation referring the labour law and the amount they had paid as compensation in cases of other accidents, including the fire at Tazreen Fashions in November 2012.
Source: https://newagebd.net/114519/hc-likely-to-hear-report-on-compensations-sunday/#sthash.T9xlbVwL.dpuf
