Tazreen Tragedy: Survivors, victims’ families seeking justice 11 years on

Eleven years on from the devastating fire at Tazreen Fashions, relatives of the victims and injured workers are still crying out for justice, proper compensation, rehabilitation and capital punishment of the accused, including factory owner Delwar Hossain.

This morning, paid tribute to the victims -- at least 117 garment workers left dead by the fire on November 24, 2012 -- in front of the factory premises in Savar's Ashulia.

Families of victims have lamented the long wait for justice and the lack of financial assistance even after 11 years.

Photo: Aklakur Rahman Akash/Star

On the 11th anniversary of the Tazreen tragedy, leaders and members of several labour right organisations including Garments Sramik Sanghati, Textile Garments Workers Federation, Bangladesh Garment and Shilpa Sramik Federation, Bangladesh Garments and Sweaters Worker Trade Union Kendra, Garments Sramik Trade Union Centre, Bangladesh Sram Institute and Bangladesh Poshak-Sramik Trade Union Federation paid tributes to the victims of the tragedy.

Speakers at a short rally said that even after 11 years of the Tazreen tragedy, injured workers have not been rehabilitated or given proper treatment, compensation for them or victims' families has not been ensured, while the culprits, including the owner, have not been prosecuted.

Photo: Aklakur Rahman Akash/Star

Khairul Mamun Mintu, Legal Secretary of Bangladesh Garments and Sweaters Worker Trade Union Centre, said proper compensation for victims' families and injured workers will have to be ensured.

He said it was a murder incident, and not a fire incident, and therefore the culprits, including Delwar, will have to face capital punishment.

Unfortunately, the government and the BGMEA has not taken such initiative to deliver justice, he added.

Photo: Aklakur Rahman Akash/Star

Many injured workers lost their ability to work, many were critically ill and facing acute hardship. They need treatment and financial support, but neither the government nor the BGMEA are acting in this regard, Mintu said.

Rafiqul Islam Sujon, President of Bangladesh Garment and Shilpa Sramik Federation, said worker leaders like him are frustrated seeing that none of their demands were met even 11 years after one of the worst tragedies of the country's garment sector.

Sifat-E-Noor Khanam, lawyer of Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST), told The Daily Star that the date of receipt of evidence in the case in which the defendants, including garment owner Delwar, are on bail, is scheduled for March 25, 2024.