Even one week after the incident, families of the victims of Tampaco foils factory fire at Tongi in Gazipur district are yet to receive financial assistance from the government, as announced, due to administrative delay, officials said.
The Ministry of Labour and Employment (MoLE) announced to provide Tk 0.2 million to family members of each of the victims.
The factory, located at BSCIC industrial area in Tongi, caught a fatal fire on September 10 morning. The blaze claimed 34 lives so far and injured around 40.
The fire was allegedly caused by a boiler explosion which also led to partial collapse of the five-storey building.
"We have decided to pay Tk 0.2 million to each family of the victims," labour secretary Mikail Shipar told the FE.
He said the MoLE will gather the victims' information through prescribed forms from today (Sunday).
"We will start collecting detailed information about the victims from next week (from Sunday). After getting it, we will start providing them financial compensation," he said.
The MoLE will provide the fund to the factory fire victims from Bangladesh Sramik Kalyan Foundation Tohobil (Bangladesh Labour Welfare Foundation Fund).
Asked about the possible time for distributing cheques, Mr Shipar said, "We hope it will start from 25th of September".
He said the government has requested two multinational companies which are buyers of the factory products to provide financial supports to the family members of the victims.
Rescue team personnel have been conducting a rescue operation for the last seven days in search of 10 workers who are still missing.
They have removed wreckage weighing 800 tonnes and 80 empty drums from the factory so far, according to Tongi Police Station.
A control room has been set up at the site of the factory where officials of the Gazipur district administration are collecting information on the dead and injured persons round the clock.
The Gazipur district administration has so far provided cash to two victims' family members.
"We have provided Tk 20,000 to family members of two victims. We have received names of seven more victims today (Saturday). After scrutiny, we will be able to provide them financial supports by Monday," additional deputy commissioner (Education and ICT) of Gazipur district Iftikher Ahmed Chowdhury told the FE.
He said they had given financial assistance to the family members of deceased Monowar Hossain and Ripon Das.
He said so far the Gazipur district administration has provided Tk 15,000 to each of the 15 injured persons.
The labour secretary said the government will take action against the persons responsible for the tragedy as per the labour law of the country.
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