The Government of Bangladesh has set up three committees to probe into the last week’s fire incident at the ten-storey factory building of Standard Garments Limited in Gazipur, about 40 km from the capital Dhaka.
The committees have been asked to submit their report within a week’s time, Labour and Employment Minister Mosharraf Hossain told journalists after a meeting with senior officials of law enforcement agencies.
A nine-member committee, headed by Mainuddin Khandaker, additional secretary to Home Ministry, and comprising of members of different intelligence agencies, has been tasked with finding out the people who were behind the fire.
The other two committees, headed by Nurul Islam, deputy commissioner of Gazipur and Aminul Islam, deputy secretary to the Ministry of Labour, would contribute to the investigation from their respective sides.
The factory belonging to the Standard Group was allegedly set on fire after rumors that a worker was killed in the clash between the police and workers over a wage dispute.
“Perpetrators who set fire at Standard Garments, located at Konabari, Gazipur, must immediately be brought to book and given exemplary punishment,” Atiqul Islam, president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) said in a statement.
He said the Government should ensure the safety of all the readymade garment (RMG) factories and formulate special laws, if necessary, to stop recurring of such incidents in future.
