Four years of Rana Plaza tragedy: Rights activists demand ‘just compensation’

Four years after the worst building collapse in the history of Bangladesh, the rights activists are still demanding the ‘just compensation’ for the Rana Plaza victims.

The building in Savar that housed five garment factories on the outskirts of capital Dhaka collapsed on Apr 24, 2013, killing over 1,100 workers under the debris.

The families of the deceased and the injured workers are still struggling for just compensations as an ActionAid survey showed almost 42 percent of the survivors are still unemployed.

NGO BRAC organised a discussion on Sunday bringing together government officials, activists, lawyers and economists.

They recommended ensuring “just compensations” for victims, proper rehabilitation of the injured, compensations for industrial accidents taking into consideration not only the physical loss but also the social and psychological losses, providing alternative livelihoods for the survivors who are unemployed now and promoting strong trade unions in factories.

Chaired by BRAC vice-chairperson Dr Ahmed Mushtaque Raja Chowdhury, the event had joint secretary for labour and employment issues Khondoker Mostan Hossain, joint secretary and additional inspector general for factory and organisation inspection Md Anwar Ullah and Bangladesh Legal Aid, Dhaka University professor of economics MM Akash and Services Trust (BLAST) executive director Barrister Sarah Hossain.

MM Akash, presenting the keynote, said it was “difficult to pass the standards we have set for compensations for the victim workers might because an influential interest is creating pressure on the government”.

“We have doubt if the government can resist their pressure. Again, it is the reality of Bangladesh, and we need to see how long it would take for the judiciary to give its final verdict.”

He also stressed that compensation policies must cover not only garments sector but across sectors also.

“Is it that we ask for too much when we say that only 5 cents should be kept aside for workers compensation from the 100 dollars of earning by the industry owners?”

Khondoker Mostan Hossain said Rana Plaza tragedy was “not only about readymade garment export, but it is involved with our national image also”.

“For this, the government is focusing particularly on the proper implementation of the existing Labour Act 2006. As a part of that effort, the government has closed down 39 factory buildings.”

He further said the government is focusing on the training of the staff concerned to ensure that safety measures for industrial spaces are maintained as enacted in the existing laws.

Sara Hossain observed as more time is passing by after the Rana Plaza incident, the garment industry owners along with their associations are becoming “growing reluctant” to speak about the workers' rights.

“It is utterly frustrating for us.”

Dr Ahmed Mushtaque Raja Chowdhury said BRAC would continue to provide assistance to the victims who have become handicapped and injured in the Savar tragedy.