Bangladesh govt funds RMG renovations

Bangladesh government has decided to start renovation programmes for the ready-made garment (RMG) industries to improve their working condition. It has allocated Tk 10 crore to fund the project under the Remediation Coordination Cell (RCC). An industrial safety unit is being set up under the department of inspection of factories and establishments (DIFE).

The Rana Plaza collapse led to the renovations of about 3780 RMG industries with the help of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), said Md Mahfuzur Rahman Bhuiyan, deputy inspector general, DIFE.

He added that close to 1,549 RMG factories started renovation work under the government’s national initiative. About 1,505 industries came under Accord, while 890 went under Alliance.

RCC, formed by six institutions, is meant to improve worker safety in garment factories of Bangladesh. It has resulted in the shut down of over 150 risky RMG factories, said Bangladeshi media reports quoting Bhuiyan.

About 809 RMG industries that came under the national initiative have already been renovated. The labour ministry of the country has also started recruiting engineers to accelerate the remediation work in the rest of the industries.

The government will employ 60 engineers for one year and the ministry of finance has already set aside Tk 8 crore for their salaries and allowances. OLI has also floated a tender to help recruit 47 engineers for RCC.