Justice must be served for Narayanganj fire victims

One of the probe bodies formed after the devastating Hashem Food and Beverage factory fire in Narayanganj last month has finally finished their job and submitted their findings, putting the blame on the government's factory inspection department as well as the factory owner for their negligence and lack of compliance with safety rules respectively. The result was, 57 innocent lives were lost, including that of several children. We were loath to call it an accident then, and wouldn't sanctify the killing by labelling it a mishap. The probe report has validated our opinion. In several editorials following the gruesome incident, we had averred that government agencies responsible for exercising oversight must share the blame for the fire and the deaths.

It is because of their acts of omission and commission that factories like the Hashem Food and Beverage in Narayanganj manage to cut corners in matters of safety and wellbeing of the workers. Eventually, the lacunae are exposed but at the cost of precious lives of the workers, as has happened in this instance, and in many other similar instances before.

We had particularly pointed our fingers at the line agency responsible for monitoring safety measures in workplaces, i.e. the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments (DIFE). It is shocking and utterly unacceptable that the DIFE had visited the factory, according to our report, a month before the fire, but did not check its safety measures. What they did do was see whether the workers were following Covid-19 safety guidelines. If they had taken the trouble to spend a few minutes there, they would have discovered that nothing inside the factory was going right as far as the safety of workers was concerned. This cannot be explained away as happenstance. Every single rule was being violated, including the fact that the factory was operating illegally, without the clearance of the DoE and the UNO. How could such glaring truths escape their attention?

It is shameful that most of the violations are done in connivance with those that are entrusted to check these violations. We have been crying hoarse about manpower shortages in the DIFE. But even the few personnel the department has do not do their jobs properly. They turn a blind eye to the shortcomings, but not for nothing though. Meanwhile, tragedies keep happening. It is time for the authorities to stop giving lip service to workers' safety and do something substantive about it. Apart from beefing up the operation of DIFE with proper manpower, we believe the errant officials should face severe punishment for their failure to do their duty. The only thing that would be more reprehensible than their criminal negligence is if they, as well as the factory management, escape justice, and if proper checks are not instituted to ensure no such violations take place in the future.