Two taskforces to ensure fire safety at garment factories

The government yesterday formed two taskforces to improve fire safety standards at garment factories as Bangladesh was slammed for noncompliance at a recent hearing of a US trade negotiator.
The government will also amend the labour law to improve labour standards, an official said.
The taskforces will also look for avenues to expand the garment sector further, Labour and Employment Secretary Mikail Shipar said after a meeting of a committee of ministers at the secretariat.
The 11-member committee was formed in February 2003 to look after the garment sector.
The taskforces, which will submit reports within the next two months, will advise the ministers on how to ease the export procedures of garment items, Shipar said.
The labour ministry will place a proposal at the next cabinet meeting to amend the labour law of 2006, he said.
"We need an improved labour law to improve the labour standards,” he said.
Bangladesh has expedited efforts after the fourth round of hearing on the continuation of a trade benefit at the United States Trade Representative office in Washington on March 28.
Bangladesh attended the hearing to seek continuation of the generalised system of preferences, a duty-waiver scheme by the US government.
At the hearing, Bangladesh also promised to improve labour standards and fire safety.
Concerns arose after the deadliest fire at an Ashulia-based garment factory -- Tazreen Fashions -- on November 24 last year when 112 workers died.