BNP laxes strike for rescue in Savar

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia has called upon her party supporters to relax the strike from Savar to facilitate rescue at the collapsed Rana Plaza.

Advisor to the BNP Chairperson, Shamsuzzaman Dudu conveyed Khaleda Zia’s call on Wednesday noon at an emergency press briefing at Naya Paltan headquarters.

“Upon the Chairperson’s orders, we are relaxing our shutdown in Savar to help rescue those trapped. We are calling all activists to join in the rescue,” Dudu said.

The Rana Plaza near Savar bus stand area caved in on Wednesday morning killing at least 32. The death toll may rise.

Some ready-made garment factories, where more than 6,000 workers are believed to have been employed, had resumed production on Wednesday after the building owner did not take cracks seriously.

The four garment factories and a bank unit housed in the building were closed down on Tuesday after cracks surfaced, police said.

BUET experts had warned about the possible collapse on Tuesday and called for structural checks.

Owner of the Rana Plaza Mohammad Sohel Rana, a senior joint Convenor of the Awami League’s youth front Juba League, reportedly opposed the closing down of the building because he saw ‘nothing serious’ in the cracks.