Labour deaths in husking mills
North Bengal is called the crop treasury of Bangladesh. Apparently, hundreds of husking mills and paddy drying yard called "Chatal" have been established. The numbers of these husking mills and paddy drying yards are not known officially, nor they carry legal permits.
It is estimated that about few thousands of boilers farms and husking mills dot the region where about one lakh labourers are working with least wages merely to ensure survival. Due to the existing laws in this respect not being applied to earn more profits, the owners of these husking mills and boilers ignore the safety of the labourers.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. About fifty accidents of boiler explosion occurred during the year 2000. Most of these accidents occurred in northern region of he country. In some cases, ten labourers lost their lives in one single explosion. For instance, a boiler explosion occurred in a husking mill at Bochagong of Dinajpur district where ten labourers were killed and one seriously injured. The injured one became crippled for life. On August 9, 2003, a day labourer name Sarwar (45) was killed by an explosion in a boiler at Dupchachia Upo-zila of Bogra district.
On inquiry it was revealed that the safety valve of the boiler was defective but the owner of the boiler did not care for it. The owner of the boilers escaped responsibilities by paying taka twenty one thousand only. It is also known that husking mills and boilers owners are enlisted in food department and they are allotted paddy from the government warehouses for making rice. In order to be enlisted in food department the boilers and husking mill owners are required to obtain trade license, bank solvency etc. But they are reluctant to obtain the required license.
A source in the factory inspection team said, spot inspection on the technical experience of the workers, arrangements of health care, application of labour laws etc. is made, but, punishment for violating laws is very light or negligible. That is why the proprietors of the husking mills or Chatal (paddy drying yard) do not care for obtaining license..