Punish those who toy with workers' lives

Photo: Palash Khan

No word of condolence or act of sympathy can ever compensate for the losses of so many precious lives in Rana Plaza collapse. This grave accident has raised questions about the incompetence of the agencies  concerned in the due enforcement of law and management of the infrastructure of our country to ensure safety. Such kind of catastrophe occurred in the past but no action was taken to ensure that such accidents could be avoided.     The poor RMG workers who make the largest contribution to our economy, earning about 80 percent of the country's export income, repeatedly fall victim to the callousness of their employers. Their lives are constantly being snatched away while the so-called successful garment factory owners sit in the comfort of their homes and get away scot-free. The lives of the poor workers seem insignificant to them. If strict measures were taken against these culprits, these tragedies might not have happened.

Photo: Anisur Rahman

The labour rights of the deprived RMG workers should be established: They should be covered by  adequate life insurance policies and paid reasonable wages and provided with safe working conditions, so that their corrupt employers are not be able to exploit them and toy with their valuable lives.