Survivors of the Rana Plaza collapse went on demonstrations in front the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters’ Association building in the capital on Saturday marking four months of of the disaster. Apparel workers’ platform Bangladesh Garments Sramik Sanghati organised the protests where they demanded an immediate payment of their dues and compensations. They also demanded that the association should publish a list of the people who were killed and wounded in the building collapse that took place on April 24.
The building collapse left 1,132 people, mostly apparel workers, dead and about 2,500 wounded.
According to a group working with apparel workers, the search for the deceased in the Rana Plaza rubble was called off on May 13 when 374 workers were still missing.
The National Garment Workers Federation, meanwhile on the day, formed a human chain in the capital demanding compensation for the survivors and the deceased in the building collapse. They also demanded workplace safety.
Demonstrators in front of the BGMEA building rallied for trade union rights of all apparel workers and Tk 8,000 in the minimum monthly wage.
The Sramik Sanghati coordinator, Taslima Akthter Lima, at the gathering said that four months had passed after the building collapse but the authorities were still indifferent about keeping their words.
‘Authorities have not paid the compensation. They have not yet filed charges against people responsible for the building collapse. They have not even prepared a list of the deceased and the wounded,’ she said.
Taslima said that the prime minister had give Tk 1 to Tk 2 lakh to some people but any specific amount to be given to survivors and families of the deceased had been announced.
She alleged that the government was trying to save the factory owners as they were the elite. She said that the money the prime minister had given was the ordinary tax payer’s money and not of the apparel factory owners.
She said that the apparel factory workers were treating workers as machines to make money.
‘The workers are going to the police, the administration and the BGMEA for their payment, compensation or with request to find out members their family still missing after the building collapse. They even passed the Eid day starving,’ Taslima said.
During the demonstrations, many survivors burst into tears when they were describing their struggle for livelihood after the building collapse.
They also demanded death penalty for owners of the Rana Plaza and the apparel factories that were housed in the building.
Workers leaders Abu Shama, Mahbub Iran, Harunur Rashid Mahmud, Julhasnaine Babu, Dipok Roy, Hasan Maruf Rumi, among others, spoke.
The National Garment Workers Federation formed the human chain in front of the National Press Club marking four months of the building collapse.
The federation’s president Amirul Haque Amin presided over the programme and demanded compensation for the affected.
He also demanded Tk 28 lakh in compensation to families against each of the deceased in view of what they could have earned if they had been alive.
The organisation leaders also demanded money for the treatment of wounded workers.
The federation’s general secretary Safia Parvin, Nurun Nahar, Mohammad Faroque Khan, and Sultana Akter, among others, spoke.
A procession followed the rally.
Courtesy of New Age
