Pass law for justice to Rana Plaza victims: rights activist

Worker leaders yesterday urged the government to pass a tort law enabling Rana Plaza victims to secure compensation.
A tort, in common law jurisdictions, is a civil wrong which unfairly causes someone else to suffer loss or harm resulting in legal liability for the person who commits the tortuous act.
The demand came at a press conference of the Garment Sramik Oikya Parishad, a workers' association, in the capital.
The association also sought compensation of Tk 48 lakh each for the dead and missing workers as per the loss of earnings formula, which fixes compensation based on the age of victims and the national life expectancy.
Assuming the average age of the dead and missing workers to be 25 and the retirement age of 60, the compensation comes to Tk 48 lakh, said Moshrefa Mishu, president of Garment Sramik Oikya Parishad.
She also demanded filing of a murder case against the owner of Rana Plaza, medical treatment, jobs for the disabled workers and one family member of the dead and missing workers.
The government has so far distributed Tk 22.53 crore of Tk 127 crore to the victims from the prime minister's relief fund, she said. “Has the prime minister decided to use the relief fund for political purpose instated of humanitarian reasons?”
The labour leader also came down heavily on the 29 brands that used to source from the factories housed in Rana Plaza but have refused to dole out any compensation to the victims. “The brands came to Bangladesh to source cheap clothes. So, they have liability to the workers.”
She said the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association should clarify to the union leaders why the brands would not pay any compensation.
About the list of dead, missing and injured workers, which is yet to be published one year on, Mishu said: “No one has published the real list of missing, dead and injured workers one year after the tragedy. What are the government and the BGMEA doing?”
She went on to urge the government to immediately disclose the list of dead and missing and injured workers.