Archive of South Asia Citizens Wire | feeds from sacw.net | @sacw
Home > South Asia Labour Activists Library > Bangladesh: The Nischintapur garments factory fire and reckless disregard (...)

Bangladesh: The Nischintapur garments factory fire and reckless disregard for workers’ safety - A report by ASK

29 November 2012

print version of this article print version

The Full Ain o Salik Kendra (ASK) Investigation Report
Report Includes Recent Writ Petition Filed by ASK and three other Human Rights Organisations; Photos, witness statement compiled by ASK Investigation Team; Floor Plans; Statistics on Deaths in Garment Factory Fires

An investigation by Ain o Salik Kendra (Dhaka): ’The Nischintapur factory fire is the worst in Bangladesh’s industrial history, one already strewn with innumerable deaths and injuries, caused by callous indifference and a reckless disregard for workers’ safety’’

WRIT PETITION FILED

Writ Petition No. 15693 of 2012 Order dated 26th November 2012 Issue

A fire outbreak resulted in the death of 110 workers in Tazreen Fashion Limited at Ashulia, Savar, Dhaka. ASK along with BLAST, Nijera Kori and BRAC filed writ petition against the failure of the respondents to ensure effective enforcement of applicable laws on work-place safety in particular regarding prevention of deaths and injuries of workers from fire in garments manufacturing factories. Court gave following directions.
• Issued Rule calling upon the respondents to show cause within four weeks as to why they should not be directed to prosecute and punish people responsible for the fire.
• Directed BGMEA to submit report within two months including a list of garment factories across the country, and a report on whether the authorities of the factories comply with the relevant laws to run those, and what steps they have taken to save the workers from fires.
• Directed the Chairman of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and Chief Executive of Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA) to suggest names of some eminent per- sons within 10 days for constituting a probe committee into this incident.
• Directed the government to explain what steps it has taken to implement the HC directives is- sued in 2001 in Writ Petition no. 6070/1997 to ensure safety and security of garment workers and to form an inspection committee to monitor whether the garments authorities abide by the relevant laws in running their factories.
• Directed authorities of Tuba Groups and Tazreen Fashions Ltd, to state in detail what steps have been taken regarding compensations for the workers killed and the injured, and what measures they have taken to ensure treatment of the injured staffers.

1. ASK Ain o Salish Kendra – Legal and Human Rights Organisation
2. BLAST Bangladesh Legal Aid and Service Trust
3. BRAC Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee
4. Nijera Kori

[download full report below]

Bangladesh Garments Factory Fire : Tasreen Fashions Ltd, Nischintapur, Saavar. Bangladesh
A report by Ain o Salik Kendra (Dhaka)
24 NOVEMBER 2012