Gano Forum President Kamal Hossain said yesterday that existing laws were sufficient to punish culprits like Sohel Rana, the owner of Rana Plaza, the building that collapsed in Savar killing more than 1,000 workers.
“There’s no need for formulating new laws to try people like Rana. The ordinary laws are enough to do so,” said Hossain, one of the authors of the Bangladeshi constitution.
“But these laws are hardly practised. So we all have to unite for the proper enforcement of these laws,” he added.
The noted jurist was speaking at a seminar called “Savar Tragedy: Law, Highest Punishment and Compensation,” organised by the Garment Sramik Sangram Parishad at the National Press Club.
Reminding legislators and law enforcers of their responsibilities in implementing court orders, Hossain said: “Courts can issue an order, but parliament and police are there to implement it.”
“The BGMEA [Bangladesh Garments Manufactures and Exporters Association] must remember the accidents in the garment sector. It won’t be good for anybody, if they maintain an ominous entente with the government,” he said.
Urging labour organisations to create a united movement to establish their rights, Hossain said, “Let’s join a united movement to come out of the grip of a handful of politicians.”
“We have to make everybody, including the BGMEA, comply with the laws. For this, the workers must get united to exert pressure on the owners,” Hossain said.
Voicing his resolve to promote the rights of workers, he said, “I’ve been waging a movement to establish the rights of workers for over 54 years. I’ll continue this movement until the last day of my life.”
The eight-storey Rana Plaza in Savar, which housed five garment factories, crashed down on April 24, killing over 1,000 people.
Taking part in the programme, Jahangirnagar University Professor Anu Mohammad demanded the government form an independent investigating commission and revise the national minimum wage for workers.
Dhaka University teacher Asif Nazrul suggested demolishing all risky buildings to avoid similar catastrophes.