Identifying over 100 garment factories as ‘risky’ in Dhaka and its adjoining areas, Rajdhani Unnayan Kartipakkha (Rajuk) are now seeking opinions from the experts of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet) to work out strategies for the factories so that no further tragedy takes place. “We’re inspecting the garment factories. Our inspection team has so far visited 500 garment factories, of which more than 100 are seemed to be risky. So, we’ve sent the list of vulnerable factories to Buet for re-checking,” Abdul Mannan, a member (planning) of Rajuk, told UNB.
Chief inspector of factories (CIF) and establishment Habibur Rahman said they have visited about 2,700 factories since the deadly fire incident at Tazreens Fashions Ltd at Ashulia, an industrial belt on the outskirts of Dhaka city.
He said they filed a total of 177 cases against 177 factories with the Labour Court on various allegations.
Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), the apex body of the apparel makers, has examined 200 factories through forming its own inspection teams.
Asked about their activities, engineer Shamsul Haue, a member of BGMEA inspection team, said they have identified 30 garment factories as vulnerable during their visit to various factories in different parts of the country.
Of the identified risky factories, about 20 were demolished by the owners themselves, he said, adding that the list of the remaining risky factories has been sent to Buet for rechecking.
Besides, Labour and employment secretary Michael Shiper said the authorities concerned have recently shut down 16 factories in Dhaka and four others in Chittagong considering the vulnerability of the factories. “All factories housed in vulnerable buildings are likely to be closed down.”
He, however, said they will give options to the owners of the risky factories to relocate those before the closure.
The secretary said they are also continuing to inspect the other garment factories in the country to examine whether the buildings housing the factories are safe.
He said they have formed 20 inspection teams after the Tazreens, Smart and Rana Plaza disasters.
The Rana Plaza incident was the worst disaster in the history of Bangladesh garment industry as it crashed down on April 24 this year killing 1,129 people.
Contacted, Prof Sekandar Ali, who teaches civil engineering at Buet, said they have received the lists of about 300 risky factories from different organisations and bodies, but he could not confirm how factories are actually risky.
Sekandar Ali, also the director of Bureau of Research, Testing and Consultation (BRTC), said that 28 Buet experts are on visits to the risky factories in accordance with the list, and have already visited 150 risky garment factories.
Describing their work plan, the BRTC director said they are suggesting the factories authorities to shut down the factories if one appears to be of ‘immediate threat’.
“We’re also trying to devise ways of making the factories risk-free and looking into whether earthquake may cause causality in the factories,” he said. (Source: UNB)
