Dhaka, Bangladesh (BBN) – Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has decided to form a high-powered taskforce shortly to inspect the fire exit system of all the apparel units across the country.
The decision was taken at an emergency meeting held at its auditorium in the capital Dhaka Thursday night with its President Shafiul Islam (Mohiuddin) in the chair, a BGMEA announcement said.
The country’s apex body of apparel sector latest move came against the backdrop of the devastating fire incident at Tazreen Fashions Limited at Ashulia, which claimed at least 111 lives of workers and nearly 100 others injured.
The meeting also decided that the BGMEA will take the responsibility of families of Ashulia fire victims for the next 10 years.
The BGMEA also decided that necessary action like shutting down would be taken against apparel factories failing to maintain service books of their respective workers and employees accordingly.
For the sake of greater security of apparel industry, the meeting also decided to introduce ‘finger-print’ system of workers, initially from the factories at Ashulia zone.
“Members of the planned taskforce will visit factories in phases to see fire safety of factories and if found guilty of fire safety faults, those factories would be given time to solve problems,” the BGMEA said. “If any such factories failed to take steps to ensure fife safety according to the BGMEA directives, stern actions would be taken against them.”
It also said necessary training on primary healthcare, emergency rescue and fire extinguishing would also be given to the workers.
Since 2006, more than 700 apparel workers have died in Bangladesh due to unsafe factory structure, which has already been included as an import compliance issue for establishing sustainable factory models in Bangladesh.
BBN/SSR/AD-30Nov12-6:50 pm (BST)
