No one has been arrested yet even after three days of the fire incident that caused the deaths of three workers in a footwear factory in Savar.
At least 20 others were sustained injuries, mostly burn, at the factory - ‘Uniworld Footwear Tech. Ltd, an export-oriented shoe manufacturer located at Fulbagan area of Zirabo area in Ashulia, on the outskirt of the capital.
Sudip Kumar Gop, SI, Ashulia police station, said their drives were ongoing to arrest the accused, including the factory owner, Mizanur Rahman, and hoped to make the arrest soon in this case.
A K M Salauddin, Deputy Inspector General of Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments (Dhaka) told Bangladesh Post that they have already taken the initiative to file a case against the factory authority for violating workers’ safety environment and factory establishment’s rules.
The inspection team found that the factory authority had concealed information about the factory, and continued to run the factory operation showing the factory to be a warehouse that caused the deadly and pathetic casualties there.
Besides, the officials further said each of the deceased families will be given taka 2 lakhs compensations on behalf of the government and will compensate the injured workers as well. Apart from that, the factory authority also assured them to compensate each of deceased and injured family on behalf of the factory authority, said Salauddin.
Earlier on Thursday night Abdul Hamid, husband of deceased Shahnara begum filed a case with Ashulia police station mentioning Mizanur Rahman, the factory owner, as a prime accused, Shirazul Islam, factory admin manager, and making some other member as anonymous accused in the case statement over the fire issue.
Local Upazila administration of Savar, however, took the initiative to find and make a list of such risky factories, the number of their workers and their activities that are operating at the Upazila area illegally.
The district administration, in the meantime, has declared giving taka 25 thousand to each deceased family.
Meanwhile, several rights organizations in Savar formed multiple human chains demanding immediate arrest and punishment of the factory authorities. They also demanded to compensate with life term salary amount to each of deceased families, as well as bearing all the medical and treatment expenses of the injured workers.
Contacted Sadman Rakib, Senior IT Officer of Uniworld Footwear Tech. Ltd told Bangladesh Post that it’s an export-oriented factory and basically operates from Barishal office located in Barishal BSCIC.
