At least 117 workers died and around 200 others were injured when a fire tore through Tazreen Fashion Limited in the Nischintapur area of Ashulia, Savar, on November 24, 2012.
Marking the 13th anniversary of the tragedy, relatives of the deceased and injured workers, along with leaders and activists from various labour organisations, paid tributes in front of the burnt factory site this morning.
Representatives of several organisations — including Garments Workers Solidarity, the Textile Garments Workers Federation, the Garments Workers Trade Union Centre, the Bangladesh Garments and Industrial Workers Federation, the Bangladesh Garments and Sweater Workers Trade Union Centre, the Bangladesh Labour Institute, the Bangladesh Garment-Shramik Trade Union Federation, and the Garments Tailors Workers League — placed flowers and offered prayers at the factory gate.
Speakers at a rally held after the tribute said that, even 13 years on, injured workers had not received full compensation, rehabilitation support, or adequate medical treatment, while the trial of those accused, including Tazreen Fashion owner Delwar, remains incomplete.
The case, they said, is still stuck at the stage of recording witness testimonies.
They alleged that because Delwar was an Awami League leader, the case progressed slowly during the party's tenure.
They also criticised the interim government for failing to take any exemplary steps to expedite the trial or ensure compensation for affected workers.
During a visit by The Daily Star correspondent this morning, five female workers of different ages were seen lying on a mat in front of the ruined building.
A lock was still fastened to the second-floor gate of the eight-storey structure. Burn marks remained visible on the interior walls and ceiling as relatives, injured workers, and labour activists gathered at the site.
Recalling the day of the fire, Mahmuda, 40, from Rangpur, said she had been on the fifth floor when the blaze began.
"We didn't know the fire had started below. When the alarm rang, I ran to the third floor and found the gate locked from outside. There was no escape. I went into the glass room and saw people jumping. I also jumped. I fell and injured my neck. Even after receiving treatment in many places, I have not returned to normal life," she said.
Angered that the accused have yet to face justice, she added, "It has been so many years, but the culprits have not been punished. We have not received proper compensation. We demand full compensation and the highest punishment for Delwar."
Another injured worker, Khadija Akhter Sumi, said she had been working as a sewing helper on the sixth floor.
"I went to the roof during the fire. When I tried to come down, I fell. After a severe head injury, I almost lost my senses for three years. I couldn't recognise anyone. My husband left me because of my mental condition," she said.
Khairul Mamun Mintu, legal affairs secretary of the Bangladesh Garments and Sweater Workers Trade Union Centre, said, "After the fire broke out, the factory authorities locked the gate, causing more than a hundred workers to die."
"Even after 13 years, the culprits have not been punished. The Awami League government didn't want a trial, so there was none. Workers still have not received fair compensation."
He added that although the interim government last year promised justice and proper compensation, no initiatives followed.
"In reality, the fallen Awami League government did not think about the workers, and the interim government is not thinking about them either. We expect future governments to stand by workers and ensure justice," he said.