Cracks in 65 units, 6 unsafe: BGMEA

After the Savar tragedy, the BGMEA has reviewed the infrastructure and safety mechanism in garment factories across the country and it found 65 factory buildings had cracks on the walls.

Of those, six buildings were found risky. Three factories have been closed down and are being relocated.

The decisions on the rest of three buildings would be taken on the basis of advice from RAJUK, BGMEA President Atiqul Islam said at a press conference on Wednesday.

The Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and engineers from the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) prepared the list after checking the structures of those buildings.

Islam said after the collapse of the nine-storey Rana Plaza in Savar, the local administration was closing down the readymade garment factories if there were any reports of cracks appearing on any factory buildings.

The BGMEA chief urged the workers and media not to be panicked if any factory building is found with hairline cracks on the partition wall.

“If there is any crack on the pillar or structure of a building, a structural engineer should be consulted before making any comments,” he pointed out.

The BGMEA also took an initiative to pay salaries to the workers and employees of the five factories which were housed in ill-constructed Rana Plaza.

Islam said on Tuesday they made a list of employees who used to work at the five factories and among them, 1,776 workers and employees were paid their salaries and dues by as per the Labour Act.

The remainder would also get their dues gradually while salaries of the workers who lost their lives would be given to their relatives.

“It’s not the duty of the BGMEA to pay salaries to the workers. But we think that victims are the members of the garment sector. So, the BGMEA has taken the responsibility spontaneously,” he added.