If the BUET was well-equipped, the government would not allow foreign engineers to inspect fire and building safety in the garment factories, said a top official.
“The government wants to appoint experts from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) to asses all kinds of factory inspections,” said Labour Secretary Mikail Shipar.
He was addressing a function in Dhaka yesterday, organised by International Labour Organisation (ILO) to hand over RMG factory building safety assessment equipment to BUET.
The equipment worth Tk1.5 crore, funded by the Netherlands, Canada and the United Kingdom.
More equipment of Tk4 crore will be provided in the second phase.
Mikal Shipar said the labour ministry had proposed to enhance its manpower so that it could make adequate contribution to ensure workers’ rights in the factories.
“We have to have the well-equipped labour ministry, labour department and factory inspection department to save workers from workplace accidents,” said the secretary.
ILO’s Srinivas Reddy said assessing the structural integrity of factories was one of the key priorities identified by the stakeholders following the Rana Plaza collapse.
The equipment was purchased by the ILO as part of its support to the Bangladesh government employees and workers organisations to help improve working conditions in the readymade garment sector.
“The factory owners have committed to make change to issues identified through assessment to improve working conditions, enhance safety and reduce injuries,” Srinivas Reddy said.
BUET vice chancellor SM Nazrul Islam said the country’s industrial sector, especially the RMG, was growing very fast, “so we have to be more careful and sensitive to the safety of the workers.”
He said the equipment provided would play a vital role in assessing structural integrity of factory buildings. “The equipment will make us able to identify the risks and causes before happening any accidents.”
“We are taking the lead in the RMG industry. There should be a sound environment and products should also maintain quality,” said Nazrul Islam.
BGMEA president Atiqul Islam put stress on mind-set change of both workers and owners and working together in making the sector compliant.
Bangladesh Trade Union Centre general secretary Wazed-ul Islam Khan said the culture of constructing high rise building is risky and unsafe for the workers. According to him, the factory buildings shouldn’t be more than two-story.
He added: “Assessment of factories is not the solution to safety issues. More important is to shift the RMG factories from the residential areas and the most important thing is to start paying compensation (to victim workers) as soon as possible.”