The High Court (HC) on Sunday directed the Bangladesh Bank (BB) authorities to freeze the bank accounts of the Savar building owner and proprietors of five garment factories housed in Rana Plaza so that they cannot withdraw money from the respective accounts without paying workers salaries. It also directed the Bangladesh Garment Manufactures and Exporters Association (BGMEA) to pay the salaries and other benefits of workers from their respective accounts.
In response to two separate writ petitions, the HC bench comprising Justice Mirza Hossain Haider and Justice Md Khurshid Alam Sarker also directed four high officials of the government to appear before it on April 30 to explain their position in connection with the building collapse.
The officials are deputy inspector general of industrial police, director of industrial police in Savar zone, upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) of Savar and chief factory inspector.
The writ petitions were filed by two rights organisations Ain O Salish Kendra and Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust, and three individuals seeking necessary directives from the HC over the issue.
The HC bench also directed the inspector general of police (IGP) to submit a report before it within seven days on what legal steps the government has taken after the collapse of Spectrum building in 2005, phoenix building in 1997 and fire in Tazreen Fashions Ltd in 2013.
The HC also issued a rule asking the government to explain within seven days why it should not be directed to pay compensation to the victim families.
It also asked the government to explain why it should not be directed to take legal steps against the responsible persons over the issue.
-With The Independent input
