Why Again?

 Yet again our fellow workers in Bangladesh suffer another factory tragedy from the negligence of employers.

 At least 52 people, many of whom were trapped inside the five-storey Hashem Foods factory in Rupganj, just outside Dhaka by an illegally locked door, according to fire officials. Many workers jumped from the upper floors and suffered injuries. Information about how many people were in the factory and how many were missing was not immediately available.

The factory’s top two floors are yet to be searched, said Debasish Bardhan, the deputy director of the fire service and civil defence. He said the factory’s main exit was locked from the inside and many of those who died were trapped. Authorities said the fire took hold because of chemicals and plastics stored inside the building.

Bangladesh has a history of industrial disasters, including factories catching fire with workers locked inside. Continuing corruption and lax enforcement have resulted in many deaths over the years, and big international brands, which employ tens of thousands of low-paid workers in Bangladesh, have come under pressure to improve factory conditions after fires and other disasters killed thousands of people.

The International Labour Organization said in a 2017 report that Bangladesh’s regulatory framework and inspections “had not been able to keep pace with the development of the industry”.

Bangladesh factory fire kills at least 52 people | Bangladesh | The Guardian