Press reports on CPD dialogue titled “One Year after Rana Plaza Tragedy,” organised as part of the Post-Rana Plaza Monitoring: a Civil Society Initiative in partnership with a number of civil society organisations and eminent citizens, at the Brac Centre Inn auditorium in Dhaka on 23 April 2014.
For all press reports published on Thursday, 24 April 2014, click here [pdf ~ 6.52MB]
For more press reports and editorials published during 25-27 April 2014, click here. [pdf ~ 1.78MB]
Published in The Daily Star
One Year on Rana Plaza Tragedy
Promises not kept, mostly
States third monitoring report of CPD; tragedy-struck families live on in uncertainty
Staff Correspondent
Families of the injured and dead in the Rana Plaza building collapse are leading a life of uncertainty as the government, garment factory owners and international brands have failed to honour their commitments.
A wide gap exists between the commitments made when the building caved in at Savar and the delivery of those promises even today, when the country and many international organisations observe the tragedy’s first anniversary.
“Despite various initiatives at national and international levels, the victims and their families are still in a vulnerable state,” said the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) in its third monitoring report since the disaster occurred.
“With the passing of the first year, the need to fulfil those commitments has become urgent,” said KG Moazzem, additional research director of CPD.
The disclosures came at a dialogue, ‘One Year after the Rana Plaza Tragedy: Where Do We Stand? The Victims, the Sector and the Value Chain’, at Brac Centre Inn in Dhaka yesterday.
CPD, in association with 14 civil society think-tanks, rights groups and newspapers, has been tracking progress on various initiatives related to the collapse of Rana Plaza that housed five garment factories.
CPD said the enthusiasm, devotion, hard work and combined efforts that were observed from all corners of society to rescue workers, provide treatment and financial support to the victims and their families, and for taking care of the orphans, have all gradually slowed.
“The combined sum of those initiatives did not equate to adequate outcomes. As a result, a wide gap persists between the commitments and delivery of some commitments.”
The study said the victims urgently need long-term financial support to meet their day-to-day expenses, as the support they received could only meet their immediate and short-term needs.
“While there have been numerous short-term support provided, much of it has been exhausted in immediate daily necessities, rather than contributing towards long term subsistence.”
It appears that the focus of the key stakeholders has shifted from the core areas, such as the victims and the sector, towards other areas such as cost, price and politics, said CPD in the report.
CPD Chairman Prof Rehman Sobhan, who presided over the event, urged the government to take necessary steps to compensate the workers who have made Bangladesh a globally competitive producer in the apparel sector.
“Otherwise, the victims will continue to live hand to mouth. And in the long run, no one will be responsible if any such major incident takes place in the future.”
Shirin Akhter, a lawmaker and labour activist, said the country would have to formulate a long-term strategy for the welfare of the victims, so the injured and families of the dead do not feel that their sacrifices were worthless.
Major pledges from the government side include Tk 1 lakh for each family of the dead, a two-year plan for physiological treatment of the injured, including treatment abroad for seriously wounded workers, and rehabilitation of the family members of the injured workers.
Families of 962 workers of the 1,135 dead received between Tk 1 lakh and Tk 5 lakh from the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund, said Mikail Shipar, labour secretary.
The secretary admitted that the families of 173 dead workers could not be given any financial support yet as 88 of them have just been identified through DNA tests and the rest remain unidentified.
Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) made commitments in regard to raising funds for the affected workers and providing employment.
It has provided Tk 14.4 crore so far for treatment, salaries to all Rana Plaza workers and donations to the PM’s fund.
However, BGMEA did not take any initiative to arrange alternate jobs for them, said CPD.
Compensation for the workers has become a critical issue, which has not yet been resolved, the think-tank added.
Sultan Ahmed, assistant secretary general of Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies (BILS), said receiving compensation is a legal right of the workers. “The owners of the factories and the buyers will have to bear it.”
Nazma Akhter, a garment union leader, said they had been pressing for compensation even before the first anniversary, but their efforts had gone in vain.
“The buyers and the factory owners should fulfil their responsibilities by paying compensation.”
Hamida Hossain, chairperson of Ain O Salish Kendra, said due to the delay in providing compensation, many injured workers and families of the dead have fallen into a debt trap.
Shipar said the government has so far distributed Tk 23.55 crore among the Rana Plaza victims.
The Rana Plaza Trust Fund, an initiative of the government, buyers, and industrial trade unions, also failed to collect the targeted funds; a total of $15 million has been collected against a target of $40 million.
The British retail giant Primark has been the main contributor till date, with a total contribution of $12 million.
Moazzem said both the government and BGMEA have fallen behind on their commitments.
The government also promised to bear the victims’ cost of treatment, food and transportation, and take a two-year plan to ensure psychological treatment for the survivors.
The CPD study found that the government provided Tk 2 crore from the PM’s fund amongst 22 clinics and hospitals that gave substantial support to the victims.
“No long-term scheme has been adopted for victims’ treatment. The pledge towards a two-year support programme for the injured is yet to be realised,” said CPD.
Speaking at the dialogue, Sona Banu, wife of Abdul Karim, who used to work in a factory housed in Rana Plaza and has remained untraced, said she did not receive any support from the government or BGMEA.
“I got support from only Primark and BILS. I don’t know how I will raise my two children without any further support,” sobbed Banu, who gave birth to her second child four months after the disaster.
The CPD study also urged the government to pay attention to rescuers who came forward on their own and helped in the rescue operation.
In an on-the-spot telephone conversation at the seminar, Altaf, a rescuer, said he is unable to work now as his hands and legs feel numb.
“I only received Tk 5,000 in prize bonds from Bangladesh Bank,” he said, adding that he does not know where to turn to for financial support.
The government also made commitments to take steps to rehabilitate the families of the workers. The army has prepared a list of 1,000 workers who need to be given jobs, a list of amputated workers who need to be rehabilitated and employed, and a list of severely injured workers.
A total of 777 injured persons have been given jobs at various organisations, upon the PM’s directive.
“A significant number of families, particularly those of the unidentified and missing workers, remain outside the rehabilitation schemes,” said the CPD study.
CPD has closely been monitoring the pledges and deliveries in partnership with Institute of Architects Bangladesh, Ain o Salish Kendra, Dhaka Ahsania Mission, ActionAid Bangladesh, Gono Shakkhorota Abhijan, Transparency International Bangladesh, The Daily Star, Naripokkho, Nijera Kori, Prothom Alo, Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association, Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust, Manusher Jonno Foundation and SHUJAN.
Published in The Daily Star Business
CPD recommends commission for Rana Plaza victims
Star Business Report
The Centre for Policy Dialogue yesterday suggested the government establish a national commission with strong executive authority to solve the problems affecting the Rana Plaza victims and the garment sector as a whole.
Rehman Sobhan, chairman of the local think-tank, said the commission would be headed by a high-powered person with other responsible people from within and outside the government, particularly from the civil society.
“The commission will have full executive authority and not just oversight responsibility. It will discharge duties on a full-time basis,” he said during a dialogue on the Rana Plaza tragedy, at the Brac Centre Inn in Dhaka.
Sobhan said the victims would be able to contact the commission to inform about their problems. “The commission will immediately act to solve the problem.”
The noted economist also said the commission would take steps for the better of the entire garment industry.
Sobhan also said there should be full transparency and accountability about the funds being mobilised in the name of Rana Plaza victims from both domestic and international sources.
He urged the civil society to ensure that the voices of workers are heard if the government fails to deliver on its responsibilities.
The government will also need to work on the institutional conditions which created Rana Plaza, Sobhan said.
“This would be our expectation from a democratic and accountable government committed to good governance and addressing the people who have made Bangladesh a highly competitive country in the global garment trade.”
Mustafizur Rahman, executive director of CPD, said the government would have to see whether April 24 could be declared Workers’ Safety Day.
The government could also think of building a memorial at the site of Rana Plaza to honour the victims and a Workers’ Safety Centre where workers will be able to get information, he added.
Shirin Akhter, a lawmaker and labour activist, said the situation might have panned out differently if trade unions had been in the factories at Rana Plaza. “The union leaders would definitely protest the forced entry.”
She said the country would have to make a long-term strategy for the welfare of the victims, so that the injured and the families of the dead workers do not feel that their sacrifices were worthless.
One participant also called for providing a card to survivors that will enable them to get free treatment in government hospitals.
Participants also called for a permanent centre where they will be able to lodge complaints.
They said long-term treatment should be ensured for the injured, rescuers and volunteers, who are now finding it difficult to lead a normal life.
KG Moazzem, additional research director of CPD, said the government should upgrade the capacity of the labour ministry and the Fire Service and Civil Defence so that they can take on disasters like Rana Plaza collapse.
Published in Dhaka Tribune
No comprehensive list of Rana Plaza victims yet
Tazlina Zamila Khan
Still there is an utter confusion over the total number of missing workers
Even though one year has already elapsed, there is no fully comprehensive list of the Rana Plaza victims while many of them are awaiting compensation.
Still there is an utter confusion over the total number of missing workers, buried after identification, rescued and injured workers because of lack of a complete report by the government.
According to the Labour Ministry, 180 people were still unaccounted for. But the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) report said it was 88 while Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies (BILS) put the figure at 379 and Rana Plaza Coordination Cell at 146.
The ministry said 127 people were buried unidentified, while the CPD said it was 27, ActionAid 137 and Rana Plaza Coordination Cell 136.
The CPD revealed the findings in its report titled “One Year after the Rana Plaza Tragedy: Where Do We Stand? The Victims, the Sector and the Value Chain”. The report was released at a programme held at Brac Centre Inn yesterday.
Lawmaker Shirin Akter said: “A list should be posted immediately on the website.” She added: “If there was a trade union in the factory, it was not possible to force the workers to work there.”
Shireen Haq, founder member of Naripokkho, said: “We have noticed lack of coordination in rescuing the victims and publishing a comprehensive report. Are we ready enough to handle another disaster like Rana Plaza?”
CPD’s report said the BGMEA provided help to 3,109 workers’ families and Primark to 3,639 while 909 received one-time support (Tk1-5 lakh) and 41 got long-term support (Tk10-15 lakh) from the government.
Dr KZ Moazzem, additional research director of the CPD said: “The government’s commitment to provide long-term treatment to the victims remained unfulfilled.”
Also, there are around 700 children of victims while only a few received long-term support.
The report said around 676 workers were registered with Enam Medical College and Hospital while 418 with the CRP.
More than 1000 workers have not yet been able to join any work due to various kinds of physical difficulties while only 777 were re-employed in RMG.
Mikail Shiper, secretary of the ministry said: “Around 962 people got compensation from the PM’s Fund. The government gave Tk200,000 to rescue workers, Tk7,500,000 to the injured undergoing treatment in hospitals. We got 291 unidentified bodies of which 206 were sent to DNA testing lab. Tk235,572,000 was distributed from the fund till yesterday.”
Union leaders have asked brands to pay $40m by April 24 to the ILO- managed Rana Plaza Donor Trust Fund while it requires about $73m. Around 248 people said they got compensation from the fund, he added.
After the tragedy, although Accord was established but it was said Accord was not working in favour of workers.
Nazma Akter, president of Awaz Foundation said: “Factories were closed, but workers are not getting wages. Accord is not working in favour of workers’ interest.”
CPD suggested paying workers’ wages after closure of the factories, speeding up legal actions against alleged, paying compensation quickly and publishing a complete list of victims and others.
Rehman Sobhan, chairman of the CPD said: “It’s important to form a standing national commission headed by civil society and government bodies to address the workers’ issues. There should have a helpline so that victims seek help and get solution. Otherwise, victims will become victims.”
Published in bdnews24.com
‘No progress in long-term goals’
Staff Correspondent
Although the short-term initiatives taken after the Rana Plaza incident have been implemented, there has been little progress in the mid- and long-term goals, a study has said.
Economic think tank Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), which published the report, said there were also inconsistencies in the lists of victims and people missing in that tragedy.
The study was published on Wednesday, a day before the anniversary of the disaster, at the city’s Brac Centre Inn.
“The government and other organisations have claimed they have compensated the Rana Plaza victims at various times, but the amount is very small for an individual victim,” CPD Additional Research Director KM Moazzem said.
He said the payment of compensations had been sporadic and lacked consistency.
There were no specific guidelines about the payment of compensations, the report said, and added that buyers had not made any significant contributions.
“There is no consistency in medical treatment either. Many victims have not received complete treatment. Almost 700 children have been affected by the disaster; of them, 294 have not got any compensation at all,” the researcher said.
The report recommended steps including giving jobs to all survivors, fulfilment of all promised initiatives by the government and the owners, adoption long-term plans, and the strengthening the Fire Service and the labour ministry.
Former BGMEA president Shafiul Islam Mohiuddin said several big buyers had announced last December that they were withdrawing their investments from the country after production costs went up because of increased wages.
“A factory will need at least Tk 20 million to make the kind of improvements that Accord and Alliance want,” he said.
“Overall the owners are in a bad state.”
Workers’ leader Nazma Akhter protested his claims and said workers were not responsible for the Rana Plaza collapse.
Garments Workers’ Federation President Towhidur Rahman said the issue of missing workers needed to be resolved.
Published in The Financial Express
Execution on the ground hardly matches pledges
Speakers tell CPD Dialogue
FE Report
Discussants at a CPD dialogue Wednesday expressed their dissatisfaction over the state of implementation of the promises made by different quarters following the man-made Rana Plaza disaster.
They felt that quick initiatives needed to be taken for narrowing down the gap between commitments and deliveries.
Because of the gap, they said, most victims and their families are still living in an uncertain situation even one year after the worst-ever industrial accident that killed 1135 workers.
The participants suggested formation of a high-powered commission by the government for overseeing the whole process in a systematic way.
Presenting the third monitoring report, Additional Research Director of Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) Dr Khondaker Golam Moazzem said various initiatives over the last one year were undertaken by different stakeholders. But the net outcome of these initiatives is hardly visible, he said.
“Wide gap persists between the commitments and the actual deliveries of those. It appears that the key stakeholders have shifted their focus from the core areas such as victims’ rehabilitation and welfare to other areas including operational cost, price and politics,” he told the dialogue.
The CPD in association with 14 other institutions organised the follow-up dialogue titled “One Year after the Rana Plaza Tragedy: Where Do We Stand? the Victims, the Sector and the Value Chain” at BRAC Centre Inn in the capital.
Talking about the issue of compensation, he said the delayed process involved in the payment of compensation have put the victims and their families in a difficult situation as far as meeting their day-to-day expenses are concerned.
“In this context, the High Court should immediately issue necessary directives to make available the compensation as per the suggestion made the committee formed for the purpose,” he added.
Hamida Hossain, Chairperson of human rights body, the Ain o Salish Kendra, said the High Court in the past had issued orders in the cases of Tazreen Fashions and Rana Plaza disasters.
“But the problem lies with the implementation of the orders,” she said, adding that survivors and families of the Rana Plaza victims have not yet paid compensation even after 12 months of the tragic building collapse.
She said the ill-fated workers have been passing their days with debt burden because they do not have savings.
According to a recent survey report of ActionAid Bangladesh, 58.2 per cent of the survivors have debt burden, 37.7 per cent have no assets and 92.8 per cent have no savings.
Shireen Haq of Naripokkho raised the issue of coordination gap between multiple actors during the rescue operation and said the country should really take the issue very seriously and upgrade the capability of the state-owned agencies equipping them with modern tools to execute post-disaster activities in the future in a planned way.
Former President of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) Shafiul Islam Mohiuddin said they had agreed to make the latest wage hike following assurance coming from the retailers that they would hike their procurement rates.
“But unfortunately, they have not done so,” he said, adding that their operation costs have gone up significantly in recent months due to implementation of suggestions made by the Accord and Alliance.
He said each factory will have to bear on an average Tk 20 million in addition only for fire safety purpose.
Assistant Executive Director of Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies (BILS) Sultan Uddin Ahmed said coordination among the initiatives is required and the government should take the lead role to this effect. Speaking as chief guest, Shirin Akhter MP said a full list of the victims, including those who could not be traced until now should be published on the website of the government.
Pleading for introduction of trade union system in the RMG sector, she said if had there been trade union, perhaps the workers could not be forced to join works in the vulnerable nine-storey building on the fateful day.
Shirin Akhter, also Member of Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Labour and Employment said a Caucus can be formed in the national parliament to raise voice for the labour safety and rights.
Secretary of the Labour ministry Mikail Shipar said the government has so far spent over Tk 235 million from the Prime Minister Relief Fund for the Rana Plaza victims.
Of the amount, Tk 150 million was provided to the families of 962 dead victims out of the 1135.
The secretary said the government has already acquired lands in Manikganj to shift the RMG factories now located at the shared or converted buildings. CPD Chairman Rehman Sobhan suggested that the government should form Standing National Commission headed by a senior politician enjoying executive authority to permanently oversee the whole process addressing the specific concerns of the workers.
He said other members of the proposed body could be drawn from the government or from the civil societies.
Published on BSS online
‘Rana Plaza victims need coordinated support’: CPD
BSS
Stressing the need for taking more coordinated steps in supporting the victims of Rana Plaza building collapse and their families, Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) said, the victims are still passing their days with uncertainty.
“The victims and their families are leading a life full of uncertainty as the government, garment factory owners and international buyers and brands are not fulfilling their commitments for them,” said CPD’s additional research director KG Moazzem while releasing the third monitoring report of the think- tank here today.
CPD, a civil society think-tank, released the report during a dialogue “One Year after the Rana Plaza Tragedy: Where Do We Stand? The Victims, the Sector and the Value Chain”.
CPD in association with 14 civil society think-tanks, rights groups and newspapers has been tracking the progress of various initiatives related to the Rana Plaza tragedy.
As part of the initiatives, two monitoring reports were published earlier: first after 100 days of the tragedy and the second one after nine months of the incident.
CPD Chairman Prof Rehman Sobhan, while presiding over the event, urged the government to take necessary steps to compensate the workers who have made Bangladesh a globally competitive producer in the garment sector. “Otherwise, the victims will continue to live on hand to mouth. And in the long-run, none will be responsible if such a major incident takes place in the future,” he said.
Shirin Akhter MP, labour secretary Mikail Shipar, assistant secretary general of Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies Sultan Ahmed, garment union leader Nazma Akhter and chairperson of Ain O Shalish Kendra Hamida Hossain, among others, took part in the dialogue.
K G Moazzem said after the end of one year of the Rana Plaza tragedy, progress in fulfillment of various commitments seems to be less than what is required.
He said both the government and the BGMEA are found far from meeting their commitments.
“The combined sum of those initiatives did not equate to adequate outcomes. As a result, wide gap persists between the commitments and delivery,” he added.
CPD said the victims immediately need long-term financial support for meeting their day-to-day expenses but the support, they received could only meet their immediate and short-term needs. Moazzem said the immediate and short-term needs of the victims and their families have been met to some extent.
Shirin Akhter said the country must have a long-term strategy for the welfare of the victims so that the injured and the families of the dead workers do not feel that their sacrifices were worthless.
Major pledges from government side include Tk 1.0 lakh for each family of the dead victims, two-year plan for physiological treatment for the injured workers including treatment abroad for seriously wounded workers, and rehabilitating the family members of the injured workers.
Labour secretary Mikail Shipar said of 962 families out of the 1,135 dead workers received Tk 1.0 lakh to Tk 5.0 lakh from the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund. He also said the government has so far distributed Tk 23.55 crore among the victims of Rana Plaza.
A total of 777 injured persons have been provided jobs at various organisations upon the PM’s directives.
Published in Daily Sun
Compensating Victims of Rana Plaza Tragedy
High on commitments, low on delivery: CPD
Staff Correspondent
The fate of the victims and the families of Rana Plaza tragedy still remains gloomy even after one year of the disaster as wide gap persists between commitments and delivery on some pledges.
The Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) made the observation at a function in Dhaka on Wednesday.
Unlikely the initial pledges, the progress in fulfillment of long-term commitments for the victims and their families is very slow as different stakeholders, including international buyers and brands are not enough sincere regarding this.
All the key stakeholders failed to meet their commitments fully, said a study conducted by the CPD on Wednesday at a programme titled ‘One Year of Rana Plaza Tragedy’ at Brac Centre Inn in the city.
The CPD in partnership with 14 other organisations arranged the programme held with CPD Chairman Prof Rehman Sobhan in the chair.
Member of parliamentary standing committee on the Ministry of Labour and Employment Shirin Akhter, MP, secretary of the ministry Mikail Shipar, BGMEA leader Moinuddin Ahmed, Ain-O-Salish Kendra chairman Hamida Hossain, RMG workers’ leader Nazma Akter and a victim’s wife Sona Begum addressed the programme.
CPD executive director Dr Mustafizur Rahman moderated the function.
Shirin Akhter, MP, said a comprehensive list of the victims, including those who still remain missing should be published on the website of the government.
Arguing for trade union system in the RMG sector, she said if there had been trade union, perhaps the workers could not be forced to join works in the vulnerable nine-storey building on the fateful day.
The JSD lawmaker said a Caucus can be formed in the national parliament to raise voice for the labours’ safety and rights.
Mikail Shipar said the government has so far spent over Tk 23.55 crore while the BGMEA spent Tk 14.40 crore following the Rana Plaza tragedy. Of Tk 14.40 crore, Tk two crore was donated to the PM’s Relief Fund.
The government provided Tk 15.09 crore assistance to 962 the family members of dead workers out of 1135 killed, from the PM’s Relief Fund.
But families of 173 other victims could not be financially assisted as 88 victims’ families are still unknown, while DNA of 85 dead remains unidentified, he added.
The secretary said the government has already acquired lands in Manikganj to shift the RMG factories in a ‘garment village.’ The factories are now located at the shared or converted buildings. He said number of factory inspectors has been increased to 995 from 314 with a view to strengthening factory inspection.
Rehman Sobhan said the government should form a committee to permanently oversee workers’ rights situation and safety of the labourers.
Presenting the keynote paper, CPD’s additional research director Dr Khondaker Golam Moazzem said both the government and the BGMEA seem to fall behind in meeting their commitments.
He said the government should fulfill its pledge regarding financial support, treatment facilities and legal measures, while the BGMEA should fulfill its pledges to provide salaries and dues of missing workers, compensation for the victims and their families, reemployment of the victims as per their capacity.
A long-term programme focusing on sustainable livelihood needs to be formulated for the victims through appropriate support measures, the CPD study suggested.
The study found that there was no long-term scheme for victims’ treatment and only one critically injured patient was sent abroad though the government committed to send injured workers to Thailand or Singapore for better treatment.
It also claimed that the BGMEA did not take initiative to arrange alternate jobs for injured workers.
According to the CPD, a total of 1134 were killed in the Rana Plaza tragedy, while 332 other sustained major injuries and 1468 received minor injuries, and 98 still remain missing even after one year of the tragedy. However, 636 people without injury were rescued.
Over 1000 workers, who were affected in the tragedy, are yet to get any work due to various kinds of physical difficulties.
The CID has not yet completed investigation and yet to file case in this connection, the study added.
Based on the ILO Convention, the committee headed by the GOC, Ninth Infantry Division has estimated compensation of Tk 1.45 million for the family of each deceased, while Tk 0.75 million for each worker who lost one limb, Tk 0.45 million as treatment cost for each injured workers and Tk 0.15 million for the mentally distressed.
A total of $17 million has been collected under the Rana Plaza Trust Fund against the targeted amount of $ 40 million.
A major part of North American retailers or buyers did not express their willingness to participate accordingly, the CPD study showed.
Published in The Independent
Most pledges ‘unfulfilled’
Staff Reporter
Most of the commitments made by the government, buyers and other stakeholders remains unfulfilled even one year after the Rana Plaza disaster that left 1,135 people dead, over 2,000 injured and scores others maimed. Many of the victims and their families of the tragedy are also remaining in a vulnerable state despite various initiatives from national and international levels.
These were stated in a report, titled ‘The Current Situation of the Rana Plaza Tragedy: Where Do We Stand?’ released by the Centre Policy for Dialogue (CPD) at a seminar in the capital yesterday. The CPD organised the seminar marking the first anniversary of the Rana Plaza tragedy.
The CPD in association with 14 civil society think-tanks prepared the report by tracking the progress of various initiatives related to the country’s as well as the world’s deadliest garment sector tragedy.
Considering the long-term challenges for maintaining a decent living, the CPD report disclosed that fulfilment of some pledges is very important.
These include planning and implementation of long term treatment for injured workers, financial support for those who have not yet received it and re-employment opportunities for survivors, it added.
Referring to the commitments made by the government, buyers and other stakeholders, the CPD report mentioned that over 1,000 workers have not yet been able to join any work due to various physical difficulties.
In all 700 children of the Rana Plaza victims have been affected by the incident and only a few have received long-term support, disclosed the report.
The independent think tank in its report also suggested that the government should fulfil its pledges regarding financial support, treatment facilities and legal measures.
“Local organisations have mainly supported the immediate treatment while long-term treatment support has been partly extended by local and international organisations. The government’s commitment on this remains unfulfilled,” mentioned the CPD report.
“The BGMEA should also fulfil its pledge to provide salaries and dues of missing workers, compensation for the victims and their families, re-employment of the survivors.”
Buyers, retailers and brands should meet their pledge for providing long-term financial support under the ILO convention, adds the report.
The survivors immediately need long-term financial support for meeting their day-to-day expenses, observed the organisation, adding “The first initiative that needs to be fulfilled is to provide compensation as per the national law.”
“In this context, the High Court should immediately give directives to provide compensation as per the suggestion made by the committee formed for this purpose,” it said.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina promised to provide Tk 1-5 lakh to each of the family of the victims and so far 909 families have received direct support of this range from the PM’s Relief Fund and 225 payments are pending, says the report. “A major challenge of paying the compensation is identifying relatives of the dead or missing workers.”
Addressing the seminar, Action Aid representative Asgor Ali said that after a year of the tragedy, about 73.7 per cent injured workers could not return to their work due to multifarious problems, including physical impairment, and some 66.6 per cent of the injured are still facing difficulties to meet their daily needs.
He said 55 families of victims have failed to find any permanent source of income during the last 12 months since the Rana Plaza collapse killed 1,135 RMG workers and injured more than 2,000 others. The ActionAid representative claimed that relief and trust funds were not properly utilised due to lack of coordination among the major stakeholders, including the government, BGMEA and the buyers.
He pointed out that some Tk 1.270 billion were donated to the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund and so far Tk 221.10 million were distributed among 909 families of victims.
Ain O Salish Kendra chairperson Hamida Hossain stressed the need for maintaining transparency in disbursing money from the PM’s Relief Fund. The authorities have to disclose the amount deposited to the fund and the figure of compensation disbursed among the families of victims.
Published in New Age
ONE YEAR AFTER RANA PLAZA TRAGEDY
Wide gap between commitments and delivery persists: CPD
United News of Bangladesh, Dhaka
Centre for Policy Dialogue, a civil society think-tank has urged the authorities to fulfil their commitments to help the victims of Rana Plaza tragedy and their families.
The call came at a keynote paper presented at a seminar to mark the first anniversary of the worst industrial disaster of the modern world that killed 1,134 garment workers and left many injured and jobless.
Based on a study the paper was presented by CPD additional research director Khondaker Golam Moazzem.
It said both the government and the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association have fallen behind in meeting their pledges.
It said the government should fulfil its pledges regarding financial support, treatment facilities and legal measures, while the BGMEA should provide salaries and dues of missing workers, compensation for the victims and their families, reemployment of the survivors.
A long-term programme focusing on sustainable livelihood needs to be formulated for the victims and their families and thereby undertake appropriate support measures, the CPD study suggested.
The High Court may provide a guideline regarding who will take how much responsibility regarding the payment of compensation, it said.
The study found that there was no long-term scheme for victims’ treatment and only one critically injured patient was sent abroad though there was a commitment from the government side that seriously wounded workers to be sent abroad for better treatment.
It also claimed the BGMEA did not take initiative to arrange alternate jobs for injured workers.
According to the CPD, a total of 1134 were killed in the Rana Plaza tragedy, while 332 other sustained major injuries and 1468 minor injuries, and 98 still remained missing.
Over 1000 workers, who were affected in the tragedy, have not yet got work due to physical disabilities.
The CID has not yet completed its investigation and has yet to file the case in this connection, the study added.
Based on the ILO convention, the committee headed by the GOC, Ninth Infantry Division has estimated compensation suggesting Tk 1.45 million for the family of each deceased, while Tk 0.75 million for each worker who lost one limb, Tk 0.45 million as treatment cost for each injured workers and Tk 0.15 million for the mentally distressed.
A total of $17 million has been collected under the Rana Plaza Trust Fund against the targeted amount of $ 40 million.
A major part of North American retailers/ buyers did not express any willingness to participate accordingly, the CPD study noted.
The CPD in partnership of 12 other organisations arranged the programme held with CPD chairman Rehman Sobhan in the chair.
Member of parliamentary standing committee on ministry of labour and employment Shirin Akhter MP, secretary of the ministry Mikail Shipar, BGMEA leader Moinuddin Ahmed, Ain O Salish Kendra chairman Hamida Hossain, RMG workers leader Nazma Akter and dead victim’s wife Sona Begum addressed the programme.
CPD executive director Mustafizur Rahman moderated the function.
Shirin Akhter MP said a comprehensive list of the victims, including those who still remain missing should be published on the website of the government.
The Jasad lawmaker said a Caucus can be formed in the national parliament to raise voice for the labour safety and rights.
Secretary of the labour ministry Mikail Shipar said the government has so far spent over Tk 23.55 crore while the BGMEA provided Tk 4.40 crore in the Rana Plaza tragedy. Of the Tk 14.40 crore, Tk 2 crore was donated to the PM’s Relief Fund.
The government provided Tk 15.09 crore assistance from the PM’s Relief Fund to the families of 962 workers killed, he said.
But families of 173 other dead could not be financially assisted as 88 victims’ families are still unknown, while DNA of 85 dead remains unidentified, he added.
Rehman Sobhan said the government should form a committee to permanently oversee rights and safety of the labourers addressing the specific concerns of the workers.