RMG factory sued for failing to move from risky building

The government has filed a case with the labour court against a readymade garment (RMG) factory for continuing production defying an official directive for evacuation of the unit on safety ground.  
On August 06, the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments (DIFE) filed the case against Newtech Apparels Ltd located at Chittagong, officials said.
It is the first case that the DIFE filed since the beginning of garment factory inspection programmes by western retailers.
DIFE Inspector General Syed Ahmed, when asked, confirmed to the FE that they had taken the harsh move for the sake of workers' safety as the factory authority defied the DIFE's directive.
The government might take such a move against a few more garment units that are found violating the DIFE's directive for evacuation, sources added.
The Accord in the meantime in a statement published in its official website Friday disclosed that Newtech is unsafe for production and occupancy in its current state as its engineers found that the concrete columns supporting the structure are severely over-stressed.
Earlier, on June 17 last, the Review Panel, based on the findings of the Accord engineers, recommended that all floors of Newtech Apparels above the ground floor be evacuated immediately.
The DIFE also issued an evacuation order in this regard. However, while inspecting the factory again in July, the Accord engineers found workers continuing their work on third, fourth and fifth floors.
On August 6, the Accord again found workers continuing to be present in the factory above the ground floor.
The Accord then notified the Inspector General who subsequently filed the case against Newtech Apparels for violating the law, the statement added.
The Accord also informed the relevant signatory brands and retailers of the owner's failure to comply with the evacuation order.
When contacted, Newtech Managing Director Iftekhar Rahman claimed that all the production-related activities at his factory except those in the finishing line were suspended.
"The authority has given us 160 days' time which is yet to expire," he said.