Tazreen Fashions Fire
43 victims' families get Tk 1 lakh each
Foreign Minister Dipu Moni yesterday handed Tk one lakh, provided by the BGMEA, to each family of 43 victims of the November 24 fire at Tazreen Fashions in Ashulia.
Of the 43, 10 had lost their lives while the rest were severely injured in the blaze that killed at least 112 workers.
The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) also provided Tk 3,000 and one schoolbag as scholarships to each of 100 meritorious children of garment workers.
Addressing the occasion in the capital's BGMEA Bhaban, Dipu Moni asked garment factory owners to ensure a safe working environment and fire safety for the workers to develop the industry.
The government, owners and workers will work together to secure the first position of the world's readymade garment (RMG) exports, she said. Bangladesh now claims 4.8 percent of the global RMG trade of US$ 412 billion.
World Trade Organisation declared Bangladesh as the second largest RMG exporter after China in 2010-11. Bangladesh retained its position the following fiscal by exporting garments worth $19.09 billion. The outlook for the current fiscal is set to exceed $20 billion.
The industry is showcasing Bangladesh's positive image and registered positive growth despite economic crisis in the US and Europe, she said.
The government, in its initiative to explore new markets, opened an embassy in Brazil to tap into the Latin American market. Cost of production rose in China and so buyers are eyeing Bangladesh, she added.
Dipu Moni assured that the government would set up an industrial park for the garment industry soon.
The industry is working to empower women in line with the government's “Vision 2021â€. The workers are the industry's main drivers so owners should take more development initiatives under corporate social responsibility to help them, she said.
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