The government and opposition BNP on Thursday blamed each other for the building collapse in Savar on the outskirts of Dhaka a day earlier. Home minister MK Alamgir claimed that a huge number of picketers had attacked the building during the opposition-called hartal, resulting in the collapse of the multi-storied building. “We are probing the matter and action would be taken after getting the investigation report,” the home minister told reporters in the Secretariat. BNP standing committee member MK Anwar, however, alleged that the tragedy was a government plot and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina should be brought to book for the fatal incident. “Incidents of building collapse are frequently taking place in the country. This is because of the nexus between ruling party leaders and dubious construction firms. Sheikh Hasina must own up responsibility for these tragic incidents and she should be tried for the deaths,” Anwar said.
He was addressing a condolence meeting for the Savar victims at the BNP’s Naya Paltan office on Thursday afternoon.
BNP observed Thursday as a mourning day to condole the more than 100 garment workers killed in the building collapse in Savar. BNP members hoisted black flags atop all party offices in the country. The government also announced that the national and ruling party flags will be kept at half-mast.
Rejecting the home minister’s allegation against BNP-Jamaat men, he said the ruling Awami League had gathered a large number of people inside the business establishment to foil the 18-party alliance’s hartal. “The building collapsed due to the load of the overwhelming crowd inside the building,” he added.
Anwar described the home minister as an educated and learned person and urged him not to make any misleading remarks on the Savar tragedy. “As the home minister, how can you stoop so low by making such absurd statements? People are criticising your statement regarding the incident,” he said.
-With The Independent input
