A review panel of factory inspections yesterday asked ARA/Apparel Exports Limited to suspend production partially. The panel advised the factory to go for detailed engineering assessment (DEA) as it found safety faults. Besides, the panel asked the Finery Limited in Dhaka to conduct DEA in next 10 days. If the factory fails to do it, closure will be the option, the panel warned. Both the garment factories are located in the city’s Darussalam area. Earlier, Accord and Alliance found structural flaws in the building and asked for partial evacuation and DEA. But the authorities didn’t comply. Then Accord and Alliance sought help from the the government review panel. “The review panel members visited two factories and asked one to suspend production in top two floors while another has been asked for doing DEA within 10 days,” Syed Ahmed, chief inspector of the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishment, told the Dhaka Tribune. The ARA/ Apparel Export Ltd produces RMG products for EU retailers, while Finery Ltd supplies to the North American buyers, he said.
