The Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), a think tank, on Wednesday suggested taking immediate step to bring 856 hazardous garment factories under monitoring to avoid tragedies.
Khondaker Golam Moazzem, research director of CPD, made the suggestion at a briefing on ‘Workplace safety in the garment industry: Challenges to sustain achievement’ at the CPD office in Dhanmondi.
Executive director of CPD Dr Fahmida Khatun moderated the event. Other researchers of the organization were present at the briefing.
Moazzem said, “There are still many risky garment factories in the country. 1887 factories are under the monitoring of the RMG Sustainability Council (RSC) and 350 factories have been identified as safe.”
He said that 659 factories are under the monitoring of the Remediation Coordination Cell (RCC) and a total of 2,896 factories are under the monitoring of RSC and RCC.
However, 856 factories, which is around 23 percent of the total factories, are currently not under any inspection.
An eye should be kept on how these factories can be brought under security, he said.
Moazzem said 856 factories are doing business and exports are also going on but there is no monitoring of them.
This number of factories without monitoring is likely to increase and it may go up to 30 percent of the total factories in the near future, he added.
“If there is an accident in these factories who will take responsibility? BGMEA and BKMEA will not take responsibility. We want all factories to be made accountable to some organization,” Moazzem said.
According to the CPD, 2023 marks the 10th anniversary of the Rana Plaza collapse. In the decade following this disaster, significant initiatives have been taken to improve workplace safety in the garment industry in Bangladesh.
In particular, the formation of Accords and Alliances and the activities they operate have provided strong guidance for workplace safety oversights, it said.
