Meagre compensation for victims blamed

The meagre compensation allocated for workers who get injured or die in workplace accidents is one of the reasons why such accidents recur in the country, said speakers at a roundtable yesterday.
Demanding increased compensation for victims of workplace accidents, they said as per the the Bangladesh labour law Tk 125,000 is given to an injured worker while Tk 100,000 to the familly of a deceased worker.
They also pointed out that apart from the inadequate compensation there is no provision in the law for rehabilitation of the injured workers.
The roundtable, moderated by social activist Khushi Kabir, was organised by Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST) in the capital's Cirdap auditorium.
Barrister Sara Hossain, honorary director of BLAST, mentioned that the existing labour law does not make it mandatory for garment buyers, government, or garment factory owners' associations to compensate these victim workers.
Barrister Jyotirmoy Barua informed that according to the law, a factory needs to have insurance only when it has more than 200 workers. As a result, workers who get injured or die in accidents in smaller factories do not get any insurance money.