Sramik Karmachari Oikya Parishad (Skop) at a protest meeting yesterday blamed the factory owners and inspectors of Garib and Garib sweater factory for gross negligence of their duties.
The Skop leaders demanded at least Tk 5 lakh compensation for each family of the 21 workers who were killed in the fire that took place in the factory in Gazipur on February 25.
The lives of ready-made garment (RMG) workers are always at risk without fire extinguishing equipment and fire exists in garment factories, it said.
The protest meeting was organised at Muktangan in the city.
In the wake of the fire incident, different rights bodies also demanded protection of garment workers and proper compensation for the affected families.
Bangladesh Garment Workers Unity Council organised a protest rally at Muktangan where it said the RMG sector regularly violates the labour law by forcing labourers to work more than the normal hours.
Terming the incident the killings of garment workers, the council members demanded arrest of the owners, compensation for the affected families and the injured, long-term assistance scheme from the owners, BGMEA and the government.
Bangladesh Sramik Federation leaders also demanded exemplary punishment to the persons responsible for negligence of their duties.
Speaking at a protest rally, Gono Sanghati Andolon leaders said the owners must take the responsibility for the fire incident while Samajtantrik Sramik Front said the owners always get permission from the authorities to run a factory without proper facilities, which is risking the workers' lives.
None of the culprit owners are brought to justice for the negligence that regularly costs lives of innocent garment workers.
Ekhlasur Rahman, chairperson, and M Delwar Hossain, general secretary of the organisation, in a joint statement said RMG workers are contributing to the country's economy by brining the highest amount of export-oriented foreign currency.
Without ensuring adequate facilities of the workers, the growth of the sector will get hampered, they added.