More lives could have been saved but the Bangladeshi government reportedly refused to take assistance from some friendly countries in rescuing garment workers from collapsed “Rana Plaza” because of national pride. I am not sure where is the pride coming from. Other than being champion in corruptions for few years Bangladesh has never achieved highest position in anything in the world arena. Pride in corruption – is it possible? Unfortunately, anything is possible in Bangladesh, for example, you can get your own death certificate, a few years back a journalist was able to make a passport for Nobel laureate poet Rabindranath Tagore who is dead for very long time, etc. I am not sure if the honorable prime minister went for that pride but she surely proved how much she cares for the lives of these poor people!!!
I am sure there are thousands of buildings like Rana Plaza in the country and this owner, “Sohel Rana” is just an unlucky chap that his building collapsed. He thought his godfather would be able to save him from any problem like he was saved before when he grabbed land, extorted money, and ran drug syndicate. Unfortunate for him, because of the enormity of the situation his godfather already denounced him as his cohort. However, nothing will happen to his Godfather though because he is an MP of the ruling party. I will not be surprised if Sheikh Hasina (if she still in power) grant him presidential pardon after he is sentenced because by then these poor garment workers will be long forgotten.
Regrettably, these hapless workers are expendable and easily replaceable. Nobody cared when they were alive and toiled every day for a measly wage. Among the workers there were breast feeding mothers who had to leave behind their infant children to go to work. They could only get any maternity leave in dream – two of the pregnant workers gave birth under the rubble. Their lives were (and still are) so meaningless that if only 10/15 garment workers were dead it wouldn’t even made a news in the world stage. Please don’t think that the big companies who import those garment products care for these poor labors either. Instead, they are just worried that if these tragedies happen too often they may lose customers, as CNN says, “There are only so many tragedies like this that can happen before Western retailers and Western buyers … realize that they are going to go elsewhere, not because they necessarily can get lower prices but because the scandal is too much.”
In Bangladesh, not only no political party speaks for the garment workers the government always try to suppress their voice to please the garment factory owners. In fact, the government machinery makes sure that no one speak loudly for the garment workers’ right. For example, Aminul Islam, a leader of the Bangladesh Garment & Industrial Workers Federation, was tortured during 2010 by National Security Intelligence because he advocated for improved working conditions and higher wages for his fellow workers. That was not the end: on 5 April 2012, his dead body was found next to a road near Ghatail, Bangladesh, may be because he was working to organize workers in factories belonging to the Shanta Group, which produces clothing for multiple American companies including Tommy Hilfiger, Nike, and Ralph Lauren. His body bore marks of torture. Rest assured no one will be punished ever for his death because government agencies, especially security agencies, are untouchable in Bangladesh. In fact, Bangladesh government passed separate laws more than once, so no one can sue these so called security agencies for any wrongdoings – mostly tortures and killings. Therefore, the greedy politicians will always give up lives with impunity in the name of national pride, national security or any reason they can come up with because lives of their loved ones are not at stake.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aminul_Islam_(trade_unionist)
http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/29/world/asia/bangladesh-building-collapse/index.html?hpt=hp_t2
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