2012-11-26 15:31:00

Bangladeshis protest after deadly garments-factory fire


November 26, 2012 - Thousands of Bangladeshi workers blocked the streets of a Dhaka suburb Monday, throwing stones at factories and smashing vehicles, as they demanded justice for at least 112 people killed in a garment-factory fire that highlighted unsafe conditions in an industry rushing to produce for major retailers around the world. Some 200 factories were closed for the day after the protest erupted in Savar, the industrial zone where Saturday's deadly fire occurred. Protesters blocked a major highway. The government announced that Tuesday will be a day of national mourning, with the national flag flying at half-mast in honor of the dead. A fire department official said the lack of safety measures in the eight-story building that made the accident so deadly. The garment-factory fire was Bangladesh's deadliest in recent memory, but such dangers have long been a fact of life as the industry has mushroomed to meet demand from major retailers around the world with scant regard for safety measures.
The factory is owned by Tazreen Fashions Ltd., a subsidiary of the Tuba Group, a major garment exporter whose clients include Wal-Mart, Carrefour and IKEA, according to its website. Its factories export garments to the U.S., Germany, France, Italy and the Netherlands, among other countries. Tazreen was given a ``high risk'' safety rating after a May 16, 2011, audit conducted by an ``ethical sourcing'' assessor for Wal-Mart, according to a document posted on the Tuba Group's website. It did not specify what led to the rating. Bangladesh has some 4,000 garment factories, many without proper safety measures. The country annually earns about $20 billion from exports of garment products, mainly to the U.S. and Europe.







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