Around 500-600 survivors and family members of victims of the Rana plaza collapse gathered in front of the collapse site remembering coworkers, family members or relatives on Thursday, six months from the day of the tragedy.
Several workers groups also gathered there, demanding compensation for the missing, injured, and killed workers.
They also demonstrated on the Dhaka-Aricha highway at 10am.
Leaders from National Garments Workers Federation of Bangladesh told a press conference in front of the collapse site that the 20 world recognised buyers of readymade garments did not attend the compensation fixing meeting that took place in Geneva on September 12.
The 20 companies which failed to show up were Adler, Auchan, Benetton, C&A, Carrefour, Cato Corp, The Children’s Place, Dressbarn, Essenza, FTA International, Gueldenpfennig, Iconix Brand, Inditex, JC Penney, Kids Fashion Group, LPP, Mango, Manifattura Corona, NKD, Premier Clothing, PWT Group, Texman and Walmart.
The leaders of workers organisations and survivors of Rana Plaza called on the retailers to come forward to provide them the compensation they deserved.
The leaders and workers also thanked the nine brands that attended the meeting: Bon Marché, Camaieu, El Corte Ingles, Kik, Loblaw, Mascot, Matalan, Primark and Store Twenty One.
Mosrefa Mishu, the president of Garments Workers Unity Front, told the Dhaka Tribune: “The families of only 777 of the dead victims got compensation from the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund. There are many survivors and missing workers’ families who are yet to get any kind of help from the government or Bangladesh Garments Manufacturing Exporters Associations (BGMEA).”
“So I demand that the government pay these victims actual compensation from government funds and BGMEA. They are leading a very miserable life.”
“If the government will not take any action to give the 40 million garments workers of the country the minimum wage of Tk8,000 from November, the workers will wage a movement,” she added.
Soumitro Kumer Das, the president of Savar- Ashulia Industrial Area Committee of Bangladesh Textile Garments Workers Federation, alleged, “The BGMEA did not provide any kind of help for these victims. But already Tk2bn has been deposited to government fund. Where is that money?”
“Some victims may seem to have recovered, but this is not true. They are psychologically weak and many of them fear working at a factory again. So the government should provide these victims psychological treatment,” he added.
Rehana Khatun, Shahidul Islam and Lipy, who worked at New Wave Style on the 8th floor of Rana Plaza, told the Dhaka Tribune that they were afraid of working in a factory again.
The three of them joined work at different factories a month ago but each of them left work as they were scared away by the vibration of the generator during power outages.
Mousumi, who worked at Ether Tex at sixth floor, Lipy of New Wave Bottom Ltd of 3rd floor, Mahinur Akhter of Fantom Apparels of 4th floor, alleged that they did not get any kind of compensation from the government or the BGMEA.
