Two buildings housing five garment units found risky

Local expert teams have identified safety risks in two more buildings accommodating five garment factories, as a massive renovation drive goes on following prescription of western consumer stakeholders.          

Sources said the inspectors requested the official review panel to take necessary measures.

The units are DK Apparels, J Alam Denim Limited, Fashion Linkers Limited and RNZ Fashions Ltd housed in a building at Malibagh in the capital and the other building that accommodates another factory is Shampa and Capri in Gazipur, a DIFE source said.

The Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) teams are assessing fire, electrical and structural integrity of garment factories that remained outside the purview of western retailers' inspection programmes.

Alongside the inspections sponsored by the retailers, in the wake of some fatal accidents in the sector, the local experts are in action under a government-ILO joint project.

Since November last year, the BUET engineers have already inspected a total of 420 garment factories. They referred factory names to the official panel for the first time, they said.  

Earlier, the BUET teams had found structural flaws in two factory units but did not seek review panel's assistance as the factory authorities shut their units accordingly, they further said.

Syed Ahmed, Inspector-General of the Department of Inspection of Factories and Establishments (DIFE), also head of the panel, confirmed having received a list of five factories from BUET.

"We got the list Saturday. The teams have found both the buildings located at Malibagh and Gazipur overstressed," he said.

The DIFE will review their findings shortly.

munni_fe@yahoo.com