Owner of the Rana Plaza and those who kept their factories running there on Wednesday, ignoring the restrictions on it, would be arrested on criminal charges, Home Minister Dr Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir has told an inter-ministerial meeting on Thursday evening. Already the home ministry has given the directive to arrest them, the minister informed the meeting.The minister for Commerce GM Kader, representatives of different ministries, leaders of Bangladesh Garment Exporters and Manufacturers Association (BGMEA), Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) and concerned trade union leaders also attended the meeting.
Already, the ministry of Labour has lodged five cases against the person concerned responsible for the collapse of the Rana Plaza, causing deaths to over 240 garments workers on Wednesday morning, the meeting was told.
The home minister further said, the certificate issued by the local UNO in favour of the Rana Plaza was under the scanner. “The UNO has no authority to issue such certificate. If he had done so, legal actions would be taken against him”, he added.
Other decisions taken at the meeting includes preparation of a correct list of casualties in the building collapse, ensuring provision of relief, rehabilitation of them and taking steps to pay all dues of the workers as soon as possible.
The meeting also decided to bear the cost of treatment of the injured survivors.
The home ministry will also form a monitoring cell for implementation of the decisions. It will work together with a coordination cell formed earlier at the ministry of home ministry to carry out the decisions.
Referring to a proposal from the UK government to send a team of rescuers, the home minister said, they have been told that rescue operation was in its last phase.
Condemning the attacks on the BGMEA Bhaban and different other places earlier on Thursday, Dr Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir said, they were not workers. The people responsible for such attacks would be taken to justice after scanning the photographs of the attackers.
He also urged all concerned to remain alert so that no group could further their evil interests concerning the attacks.
-With The Independent input
