BGMEA blames building owner

The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has blamed the owner of the building for the deadly collapse on Wednesday and sought ‘capital punishment’ for him.

Senior Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 24 April 2013, 07:35 AM
Updated : 24 April 2013, 07:49 AM

But workers were forcibly brought to work in the factories, many of the wounded have alleged.

The industry lobby’s President Atiqul Islam told journalists at the scene of the accident that their inspection team had visited the building with Industrial Police on Tuesday when ‘cracks’ appeared.

“The owner promised to keep the building closed when he was asked to do so. But he did not keep his promise,” the President said.

The owner Mohammad Sohel Rana is a Convenor of local Jubo League, the youth front of ruling Awami League.

At least 91 bodies have been recovered so far with more than 800 injuries. Many are feared trapped inside the ruins of the building that housed four garments, commercial shops and a private bank, BRAC Bank.

An estimated 6,000 workers work in the garment factories. But it is not clear how many people were inside the building when it collapsed.

The eight-storey building collapsed after the workers joined their work at around 8am.

The BRAC Bank authorities said they had stopped their operations on Tuesday after the warnings.

Garment workers who survived say they were asked to join works on Wednesday like usual days.

The government declared ‘national mourning’ on Thursday.