Workers' federations urge government to compensate Tazreen fire victims without further delay

Victims of 'Tazreen Fashions fire', one of the worst garment factory fire in the country that claimed more than 100 lives four years ago, are yet to receive their due compensation, leaders of different workers' federations have claimed.

At a human chain formed on Thursday to mark the day, the union leaders said that many of them, who were injured in the deadly fire, are still living a miserable life.   

National Garment Workers' Federation (NGWF), Bangladesh Trade Union Federation, Confederation of Garment Workers, and Bangladesh National Garment Workers' League took part in the human chain organised to mark the fourth anniversary of the tragedy.  

Amirul Haque Amin, president of NGWF, claimed that the injured were yet to receive any compensation though four years have passed since the factory fire.  

"We strongly urge the government to arrange their financial aid without further delay," he said.   

At least 112 people died and more than 150 were injured in the fire at Tazreen Fashions at Ashulia in Dhaka’s Savar on Nov 24, 2012. The owner and the factory management are accused of not letting the workers out when the fire had started to spread. 

Thirteen months into the incident, CID Inspector AKM Inspector Mohsin-uz-Zaman Khan pressed charges on Dec 2, 2013, holding 13 people responsible for the tragedy.  

The accused had been charged with culpable negligence under Section 304 and 304 (a) of the Bangladesh Penal Code.  

Condemning the culture of impunity, Amin called for exemplary punishment to those responsible for the incident.   

He also claimed that fire incidents have been reported from more than 100 garment factories till date, but no one was brought to book for "murdering of workers."   

"Government's favouritism towards the owners of garment factories and the wealthy section of the population are responsible for the rise in number of such incidents," said Amin.   

Shihabul Islam Rony, the convener of Confederation of Garment Workers, said most of the victims of Tazreen Fashions fire did not receive any compensation.   

He called upon the government to make a list of those to be compensated and provide support immediately.  

A few months into the Tazreen Fire incident, the multi-storied Rana Plaza collapsed in Savar killing more than 1,000 garment workers. 

The incident triggered widespread criticism across the globe over the condition of workers' safety at garment factories in Bangladesh.   

Following Tazreen Fashions fire and Rana Plaza building collapse, the US suspended GSP for Bangladesh in June 2013.  

Meanwhile, the leaders and relatives of the victims paid tributes by placing floral wreaths at the makeshift memorial built on the factory premises on Thursday.   

The leaders and some coworkers chanted slogans demanding punishment of Delwar Hossain, owner of the factory.

Tazreen Fashions Managing Director Delwar Hossain and his wife Mahmuda Akter, who is the chairman of the firm, were prosecuted for not letting the workers evacuate the building while the fire spread.