Accord hearing deferred again

The Supreme Court yesterday deferred the date of hearing on Accord's extension for the third time in a month, till December 17.

A seven-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain passed the order following a time prayer moved by Accord's Advocate-on-record Sufia Khatun.

“I sought more time with reason that the chief counsel for Accord Advocate AF Hassan Ariff could not place arguments yesterday as he could not appear to the court for his physical illness,” Advocate Sufia Khatun told The Daily Star.

The apex court fixed December 17 for further hearing on the issue and extended the tenure of Accord till that day.

However, Rob Wayss, executive director of the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh, has said that the Accord did not pray for time.

“Please note that the Accord lawyers did not pray for time at today's' Appellate Court hearing,” Wayss informed this correspondent through a mail. “The Accord seeks hearing on the leave to appeal and stay application currently before the Honourable Supreme Court, Appellate Division.”

Earlier on December 6, the SC had extended the tenure of Accord and also fixed yesterday for further hearing of an appeal filed by the agency, Accord on Building and Fire Safety in Bangladesh.

The appeal was filed challenging a High Court directive that asked Accord to stop its activities after November 30.

The Accord conducts inspection and remediation activities for more than 200 global clothing retailers and brands. Additional Attorney General Murad Reza represented the government. Earlier in the hearing of December 10, the state counsel gave eight conditions under which Accord could stay in Bangladesh.

The conditions include one barring the platform from interfering in the labour issues in Bangladesh. Another says it cannot add new repair works in factories that are conducting remediation works as per the recommendations of Accord engineers.

As of November, the Accord-affiliated factories have completed 90 percent of remediation works. Of the nearly 1,600 factories inspected, 91 have fully completed their remediation.

The conditions also said the Accord, a platform of more than 200 retailers mostly based in Europe, cannot severe business ties with any factory.

It also cannot end business ties with a whole group if any of its unit fails to improve the remediation to the standards of the platform.

There must also be representation of the government during the factory inspections, said the conditions.

The extension or departure of the Accord is hanging on the court's verdict thanks to a verdict to a case filed by Chittagong-based Smart Jeans.