Workers allegedly set fire to three buildings of an RMG factory on Saturday following rumours of the death of two fellow employees. Reports indicate that a 10-story building and two six-storey buildings were completely destroyed as the fire raged on for over 13 hours. The total damage cannot yet be estimated.
Garment factory fires have been occurring in Bangladesh with alarming frequency, and more often than not, the root cause remains unexplained.
The BGMEA has called the latest fire at Standard Group an act of sabotage and has pointed at workers and trade unions as being groups with an interest in torching the factory.
As such incidents have become commonplace in Bangladesh, we urge the government to conduct proper investigations to get to the bottom of these crimes. Rumours abound as to the actual reasons behind the arson attacks, but in the case of fires that were deliberate and not accidents, the criminality behind the actions must be made transparent.
The RMG sector is one of our most important industries and is currently our greatest earner of foreign currency. The recurrence of such fires causes tremendous damage to the sector, not only in terms of loss of life and property, but also for our image in the global arena.
The government must carry out investigations into all these fires, and provide answers clearer than the ones we currently have.