Family of each dead person should get Tk 14.5 lakh

A committee led by general officer commanding (GOC) of 9 Infantry Division has recommended each family of the deceased and missing and permanently maimed persons (suffering spinal injuries and losing two or more limbs) of the Rana Plaza collapse be provided Tk 14,51,300 as compensation.

Persons who lost a limb should get Tk 7.5 lakh, requiring long term treatment Tk 4.5 lakh and suffering from post traumatic stress disorder Tk 1.5 lakh, said the committee's report, placed before the High Court (HC) last week. 

Initially the compensation was set Tk 5 lakh higher for the deceased and missing and 25 percent more for the rest. But the committee decided against it at the insistence of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA).

The final suggestion came at the committee's fourth meeting at the 9 Infantry Division's Savar Cantonment headquarters on January 23, 2014 with GOC Major General Chowdhury Hasan Sarwardi at the helm.

However, the report noted that the recommendations were not applicable for similar incidents.

It suggested that the money can come from owners of the building and the factories housed there, BGMEA, and foreign buyers of garment products. The final decision rested on the government.

It termed aid, compensation and termination benefits different. “Persons who received compensations will get termination benefits from their respective institutions.”

Moreover “assistance provided by different individuals or institutions” did not count. But that provided from the prime minister's office and other government-approved sources would be adjusted.

Other recommendations include providing free medical treatment and for BGMEA to provide similar jobs to workers of New Wave Style Limited, New Wave Bottom Limited, Ether Tex Limited, and Phantom Apparels Limited.

The committee observed the absence of a comprehensive list of injured or traumatised rescuers and that the ministry concerned could prepare one to provide compensation. 

“For the deceased and permanently maimed rescuers, the minimum compensation can be the aforesaid amount (same as the dead workers) or the ministry concerned can specify a greater amount.”

Workers using prosthetics should be issued certificates by the ministry concerned identifying them as “Affected of Rana Plaza Collapse”, allowing them to receive necessary treatment from government hospitals. 

“Besides, a government fund can be allocated for any future need of prosthetics.”

Issuing a suomoto rule on April 30, 2013, the HC ordered the government to form a committee led by the GOC to determine the compensation rates. The HC bench led by Justice Mirza Hussain Haider yesterday fixed May 4 to deal with the rule.

Other committee members include Dhaka University Prof MM Akash, Joint Secretary to the Labour Ministry Md Faizur Rahman, Labour Department Director Abu Sayeed Md Khorshedul Alam, Prof Rakib Ahsan of Buet, Dhaka's Civil Surgeon Md A Malek Mridha, BGMEA representative Jaglul Haidar, Dhaka's Additional Deputy Commissioner Md Jasim Uddin and Col Fazal Shayekhuzzaman.