Even bleaker days await them now

Still reeling from Thursday's fire tragedy, workers of Hashem Foods Limited now hang in the dark over their salary and Eid bonus payment, as the factory suspended its activities, and its owner and high officials were arrested.

Workers said 51 of their colleagues died in fire, and that they too will die of starvation if they don't get their wages. They are also not sure when the factory will resume its operation.

Before the Thursday incident, factory authorities announced that salary, overtime payment and the Eid bonus would be paid by July 10.

However, this was postponed after the tragedy.

As many as 2,035 people work in 11 factory-buildings of Hashem Foods, which produces mango juice, lachchi (yogurt drink), vermicelli, biscuits, lollipops, Nocilla spread, chanachur, noodles, fried peas, lychee drink, chocolate and various snacks.

Their monthly salary altogether amounts to about Tk 1.5 crore.

But the people who would sign the bank cheques – Md Abul Hashem, owner of Hashem Foods Ltd, his four sons (directors of the company), and three officials, including the chief operating officer and deputy general manager of the factory -- are now behind bars on charges of burning 51 employees to death.

The Daily Star talked to at least 20 workers.

Some of them alleged that the factory often kept their overtime payment due.

The average salary of these workers is about Tk five to seven thousand a month. Almost all of them work overtime for extra money.

Recently, after a protest on July 1, they got their overtime payment for June.

"As we were supposed to get the salary and bonus ahead of Eid, the fire took place. The factory authorities said they would pay it on July 13 [today]. But then the owner and higher officials got arrested. Now we don't know what's waiting for us," said Rubel Mia, an electric engineer of the factory.

Production Supervisor Ashraful Islam had jumped off the second floor of the six-storey building to escape the deadly fire on Thursday afternoon. With a fractured waist and back, he has been undergoing treatment at the US Bangla Hospital in Rupgnaj, along with six others.

Speaking to The Daily Star, he said, "Eid will be celebrated in a few days but I have to be in hospital. I have severe pain in my waist and back. Doctors suggested bed rest for two months. Now who will bear the cost of my treatment? Who will bear the expenses of my family?"

Abdul Hakim, working at the factory's juice section for seven years, said, "There is no work at the factory. There is uncertainty over salary. If it [the factory] does not resume operation, how will we live with our families? With the house rent and shop rents due and with people back home waiting for me to send money, we will die of starvation."

Nahid Murad, manager (accounts), said, "If the owner of our company was not in jail, the salary would have been paid. But now the decision-makers, including the owner, are in jail. Even then, we are trying to pay everyone's salary… Not just the salary, our owner will also help the deceased's families and injured workers as soon as he is released from jail. He talked to everyone before he got arrested."

About the factory's reopening, he said, "It will take time. After paying the salary, a decision will be taken about the resumption of the factory. Nothing can be said right now."

In the deadly fire, 51 workers and staffers lost their lives.

Bodies of 48 people, charred beyond recognition, were recovered from the third floor, where the only exit was locked.

Most of the victims were women and children.

The bodies were kept in the mortuaries of Dhaka Medical College and Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College.

Yesterday, the Criminal Investigation Department closed the temporary booth set up in front of the DMC morgue.

Drishty Islam, an assistant commissioner at the CID's forensic lab, told The Daily Star that DNA samples of 66 family members of 48 victims have so far been collected for matching.

The CID has issued a notice in front of the morgue to contact the forensic DNA laboratory of the CID in case any family member, of the deceased or missing person, want to give sample.