Risky RMG factories will be closed: Tofail

Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed on Thursday said any readymade garment (RMG) factory at risk of accident will be shut down immediately to avoid a tragedy like the Rana Plaza. He was talking to reporters after a meeting of Commerce Ministry, Labour Ministry, BGMEA, BKMEA, ILO and the two platforms of international brands and retailers - Accord and Alliance - at the Secretariat. The minister said stakeholders involved in the effort to ensure building safety in the RMG sector have agreed that a risky factory will be closed down when defects are found during ongoing inspection initiated by ILO and Accord. So far, 20 risky factories have been identified and 14 already have shut down following the inspections of about 1,000 factories, he said. Tofail said the owners of the closed factories and the Alliance will jointly pay six months wages to the workers. Accord will also give assistance for the relocation of the affected factories, he noted, according to a news agency.