The cabinet on Monday decided to form a high-powered committee led by a state minister to inspect all the garments factories around the country and find out compliance shortfalls, aiming to prevent the recurrence of such catastrophes in the RMG sector in the future.
The government, following recommendations from the committee, will take necessary actions against the owners of the garment factories that have compliance issues like those housed by Rana Plaza in Savar.
The decision was made in a routine meeting of the cabinet at the Secretariat with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.
The tragic building collapse in Savar that claimed more than 350 lives topped the list of agenda in the meeting.
Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan told reporters after the meeting that the cabinet has also ordered the Ministry of Housing and Public Works to revise the existing ‘Building Code’ to make it more up to date.
“A condolence move was also passed in today’s meeting. The cabinet members prayed for the eternal peace of the departed souls,” Bhuiyan said.
He also said the members of the high-powered committee would be drawn from the Ministry of Home, Labour and Employment, Disaster Management and Relief, Textiles and Jute, Housing and Public Works, Defense, Commerce, Industries and Environment and Forests Ministries, Banking Division, FBCCI, BGMEA and BKMEA.
The proposed committee will physically examine the building code and safety measures of the RMG factories, and put forward their recommendations to the existing cabinet committee on garment sector.
He said the Cabinet also decided to provide adequate assistance to the families of the victims considering the necessity of their family members and the injured after determining the extent of losses and preparing a list in this regard.
The Cabinet also decided to provide assistance to different members of the families of the victims, including spouses and parents.
The Housing and Public Works Ministry at the meeting presented a paper on updating the existing building code with specification of authorities on the approval of building designs and the Cabinet directed the Housing Ministry to submit an updated proposal on the building code after consultation with all stakeholders.
Cabinet members, advisers to the Prime Minister, State Ministers concerned attended the meeting. Secretaries concerned were also present.
