Is the incident of five workers dying from furnace explosion while melting iron at the factory of Rahima Industrial Complex Limited in Narayanganj’s Rupganj last Thursday, merely an accident?
It can be called an accident only when there’s a mishap despite all sorts of safeguards in place. The factory had been running without any set of rules and regulations. The workers didn’t have safety clothing. Nor did they have any other safety equipment.
For a factory to run, it’s compulsory to collect permit from the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments; they didn’t collect that either.
Prothom Alo report states the factory is still under-construction and the iron was being melted on trial basis. Araihazar Fire Service authority say, they didn’t notice any fire extinguishing device at the scene of the incident.
Sources from the Narayanganj Office of the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments say the factory applied for permit at the department’s Narayanganj office towards the end of last year.
Factory inspectors Khalid Hasan and Mehedi Hasan then visited the factory twice. They denied permit for the lack of ‘proper’ safety of the workers in accordance with the classification of the factory and the type of work done there, they recommended strengthening safety.
The two inspectors visited the factory in person on 6 March. For the lay-outs of the factory machinery, work environment and workers’ safety wear being inapt they had urged the factory authority first verbally and then in writing for ensuring safety, at the time.
Yet, the factory owner had been running it without any sort of safety measures. In that case, there’s no chance of denying responsibility by labeling it merely an accident.
Not only Rahima Industrial Complex Limited many more factories in Narayanganj are indeed running without any regulations. In September 2021, 52 workers were killed in a fire at Rupganj’s Hashim Foods factory.
Since 2018, there have been accidents at three different steel factories in Narayanganj’s Rupganj and Fatullah; and there were severe safety lacking in all three of the cases.
The owner of Rahima Industrial Complex not just showed defiance in keeping the factory running even after the warning from those two inspectors, but led the workers’ towards death.
None of the laboureres in the factory were regular workers; all of them were temporary recruitment. Some of whom got killed while some others got injured by coming to work in the factory finding no other way.
The industrial area in Narayanganj has created employment opportunities for a lot of people, which is very optimistic. But the issue of safety for the workers employed there cannot remain neglected.
Prior to the Rana Plaza incident, there used to be frequent accidents at the readymade garments factories here.
Because of regular monitoring and necessary safety arrangements, accidents in the readymade garments industries have reduced quite a lot. Monitoring needs to be stressed at other factories as well.
None from the owner party of the factory were found after the accident at Rahima Industrial Complex Limited. What’s the reason behind them hiding like this? What do they think, workers’ lives are worthless?
After the accident, the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments disconnected the power and gas supplies of the factory while sealing off the factory itself as well.
Only closing the factory isn’t enough, those who had kept the factory running, ignoring the rules and regulations have to be brought face to face with justice as well. Plus, all people concerned have to remain on maximum alert so that there are no accidents in any factories in future.
Families of the workers killed in the accident have to be paid suitable compensation although it’s impossible to fill the loss of human life with money.