Discussants at a CPD dialogue Wednesday expressed their dissatisfaction over the state of implementation of the promises made by different quarters following the man-made Rana Plaza disaster.
They felt that quick initiatives needed to be taken for narrowing down the gap between commitments and deliveries.
Because of the gap, they said, most victims and their families are still living in an uncertain situation even one year after the worst-ever industrial accident that killed 1135 workers.
The participants suggested formation of a high-powered commission by the government for overseeing the whole process in a systematic way.
Presenting the third monitoring report, Additional Research Director of Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) Dr Khondaker Golam Moazzem said various initiatives over the last one year were undertaken by different stakeholders. But the net outcome of these initiatives is hardly visible, he said.
"Wide gap persists between the commitments and the actual deliveries of those. It appears that the key stakeholders have shifted their focus from the core areas such as victims' rehabilitation and welfare to other areas including operational cost, price and politics," he told the dialogue.
The CPD in association with 14 other institutions organised the follow-up dialogue titled "One Year after the Rana Plaza Tragedy: Where Do We Stand? the Victims, the Sector and the Value Chain" at BRAC Centre Inn in the capital.
Talking about the issue of compensation, he said the delayed process involved in the payment of compensation have put the victims and their families in a difficult situation as far as meeting their day-to-day expenses are concerned.
"In this context, the High Court should immediately issue necessary directives to make available the compensation as per the suggestion made the committee formed for the purpose," he added.
Hamida Hossain, Chairperson of human rights body, the Ain o Salish Kendra, said the High Court in the past had issued orders in the cases of Tazreen Fashions and Rana Plaza disasters.
"But the problem lies with the implementation of the orders," she said, adding that survivors and families of the Rana Plaza victims have not yet paid compensation even after 12 months of the tragic building collapse.
She said the ill-fated workers have been passing their days with debt burden because they do not have savings.
According to a recent survey report of ActionAid Bangladesh, 58.2 per cent of the survivors have debt burden, 37.7 per cent have no assets and 92.8 per cent have no savings.
Shireen Haq of Naripokkho raised the issue of coordination gap between multiple actors during the rescue operation and said the country should really take the issue very seriously and upgrade the capability of the state-owned agencies equipping them with modern tools to execute post-disaster activities in the future in a planned way.
Former President of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) Shafiul Islam Mohiuddin said they had agreed to make the latest wage hike following assurance coming from the retailers that they would hike their procurement rates.
"But unfortunately, they have not done so," he said, adding that their operation costs have gone up significantly in recent months due to implementation of suggestions made by the Accord and Alliance.
He said each factory will have to bear on an average Tk 20 million in addition only for fire safety purpose.
Assistant Executive Director of Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies (BILS) Sultan Uddin Ahmed said coordination among the initiatives is required and the government should take the lead role to this effect. Speaking as chief guest, Shirin Akhter MP said a full list of the victims, including those who could not be traced until now should be published on the website of the government.
Pleading for introduction of trade union system in the RMG sector, she said if had there been trade union, perhaps the workers could not be forced to join works in the vulnerable nine-storey building on the fateful day.
Shirin Akhter, also Member of Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Labour and Employment said a Caucus can be formed in the national parliament to raise voice for the labour safety and rights.
Secretary of the Labour ministry Mikail Shipar said the government has so far spent over Tk 235 million from the Prime Minister Relief Fund for the Rana Plaza victims.
Of the amount, Tk 150 million was provided to the families of 962 dead victims out of the 1135.
The secretary said the government has already acquired lands in Manikganj to shift the RMG factories now located at the shared or converted buildings. CPD Chairman Rehman Sobhan suggested that the government should form Standing National Commission headed by a senior politician enjoying executive authority to permanently oversee the whole process addressing the specific concerns of the workers.
He said other members of the proposed body could be drawn from the government or from the civil societies.
Execution on the ground hardly matches pledges
FE Report | Published: April 24, 2014 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2026 06:01:00
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