BNP seeks judicial probe in Savar tragedy

The opposition BNP on Friday demanded judicial probe into the loss of lives in the Rana Plaza collapse, alleging the workers were ‘murdered’ by forcing them to join their work in the risky building for ‘political reasons’.

Standing Committee member MK Anwar also castigated Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for the claim that building owner Sohel Rana was not an activist of the Juba League, the youth font of the ruling Awami League.

“Scores of bodies are being taken out of the debris of the building. The scene cannot be described in words,” he told a programme.

BNP leader MK Anwar speaks on Thursday at a press conference at BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia's political office in Gulshan. Photo: bdnews24.com/ Dhaka, November 04, 2010

He alleged the workers were told they would be given their monthly payment there on the day of the incident.

”They (workers) were killed for political reasons,” he claimed.

On Wednesday morning, the nine-storied Rana Plaza near the Savar Bus Stand collapsed. The official death toll until 4pm on Friday was 294. Around 2,000 people were injured and many more are still missing. More than 3,000 workers were working in the five garment units housed in the building at the time of collapse.

Allegations were also raised about workers being forced to work in the factories located in the ill-fated building despite cracks being noticed there on Tuesday.

Of the five factories in the collapsed Rana Plaza, Mahbubur Rahman Tapas and Bazlus Samad Adnan are the owners of New Wave Bottoms and New Wave Styles, respectively.

Mohammad Aminul Islam owned two factories - Phantom Apparels and Track, while EtherTex is owned by Mohammad Anisur Rahman

Angry readymade garment workers took to streets in the capital on Friday protesting the Savar tragedy and demanding arrest of the owners of Rana Plaza and the five garment units.

In the wake of the ongoing workers’ protests, the apparel exporters’ association BGMEA has announced a daylong closure for all the factories on Saturday. It suspended the membership of the five factories on Thursday.

Five lawsuits were filed in the labour court on Thursday over the worst case of building collapse in Bangladesh.

On Wednesday night, police and RAJUK filed two other cases at the Savar Model Police Station accusing Rana, who is on the run, and the owners of the factories.

However, law enforcers have failed to capture Rana even though the Home Minister Muhiuddin Khan Alamgir has already ordered his arrest.

Rana escaped unhurt and was taken away by local MP Talukdar Mohammad Towhid Jung Murad from the basement of the building as he visited the site on Wednesday.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday told Parliament that those responsible for all these deaths will be handed down exemplary punishment, but claimed Rana was not listed in the committee list of Juba League of Savar unit.

Responding to the statement, Anwar said, “Posters of Rana can be seen at various locations in Savar. But the Prime Minister is talking in a different two days after the incident.”