BNP sees govt plot to save Savar accused

Mosharraf Hossain
Dhaka, Apr 27: BNP, on Saturday, accused the government of plotting to help Sohel Rana, owner of the collapsed building at Savar, to flee the country. “The government is hatching a plan to save Rana. Awami League is trying to shift the people’s attention on this, by holding the opposition party responsible for the tragedy that claimed over 300 lives,” BNP standing committee member Khandakar Mosharraf Hossain said.
He was addressing a programme to demand the immediate release of detained BNP leaders. The programme was organised by Jehad Parishad, at the National Press Club.
He warned the government against shifting the blame on the opposition. “Instead, the ruling Awami League must act immediately to book the people responsible for the tragedy immediately,” he added.
Mosharraf alleged that Rana was an influential leader of the ruling party’s youth front, in the area, and, therefore, his business establishment was not declared vulnerable, despite having a cracked wall. “As a result of the government’s negligence, poor and innocent ready made garments (RMG) workers were killed,” he said.
The BNP leader said the arrest of Rana’s relatives was just eyewash. “The ruling Awami League is staging a drama in the name of arrests,” he alleged.
After the tragedy, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had assured Parliament that Rana was not involved with her party’s youth front. Besides, home minister MK Alamgir had held BNP responsible for the tragedy.
“The government is deflecting the blame in another direction, by cooking up different stories,” he alleged.
Reiterating the opposition’s demand for a caretaker government (CG), to monitor the election, the BNP leader said the government’s stubbornness on the issue had triggered the present political crisis. “The country’s political arena will not be calmed till the government restored the CG provision in the Constitution. We urge the Awami League government to do so for the sake of holding the next general elections in a free and fair manner,” he added.
In a separate rally in front of BNP’s Naya Paltan central office, Mosharraf accused the government of trying to brush the Savar tragedy under the carpet, like the BDR carnage.
“Sheikh Hasina and her ministers are engaged in a blame game, with a view to conceal the real facts in the Savar tragedy. The government had adopted a similar strategy during the BDR carnage at Pilkhana, in 2009,” he said.
Referring to statements by victims, he said the RMG workers were forced to take part in work on Wednesday, despite the appearance of a crack on the wall of Rana Plaza. “Who forced them inside, and for what purpose? The Premier must answer these questions before the nation,” he said.
The rally was organised to demand the release of detained BNP leaders, holding of the next general election under a non-party CG oversight, and punishment for those responsible for the Savar tragedy.
The BNP leader alleged the government’s wrongdoing has destroyed the country’s political stability. “The situation became worse after the CG provision was expunged from the Constitution. The Awami League will be held responsible if the country plunges into a fresh crisis over the CG issue,” he added.
BNP leaders Moudud Ahmed, Shamsuzzaman Dudu and Barkat Ullah Bulu were among those who spoke at the rally. BNP vice-chairman Sadeque Hossain Khoka chaired the rally.
In a separate programme, BNP leader MK Anwar accused the PM of sedition for her “false statements” in Parliament, by denying Rana’s links with her party.
“Parliament is a holy place for a nation. But, the holiness of our Parliament has been tarnished as our Premier has made untruthful statements. This is blatantly seditious,” he said.
Anwar was addressing a programme organised by Rajshahi University Nationalist Student Association, at Bhasani auditorium in the city.
The BNP leader said the media had exposed Rana’s links with Awami League leaders, even as the PM continued to deny this. “Awami League was plotting to save Rana by hiding him in a safe place under the government’s management,” he added.
Anwar criticised the government for not extending necessary equipment to accelerate the salvage operations at the site of the collapsed Rana Plaza, and said it was the government’s failure as it did nothing to protect the lives of poor RMG workers.

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Savar death toll crosses 350; many still trapped

Dhaka, Apr 27: After the passage of 80 hours since the tragic collapse of the 8-storey Savar building that housed nearly 5,000 workers of five garment factories, rescuers, on Saturday, were able to rescue 26 people, thus negating the perception that no one would be able to survive for 72 hours inside the debris. Besides, some of those rescued on Saturday said that there were still many survivors who were battling against death, inside the ill-fated building, which crumbled on Wednesday, killing 355 people till Saturday evening. The rescuers said that the death toll could rise. as many dead bodies could not be recovered immediately.

On Saturday, the rescuers made a breakthrough by reaching to the ground floor by cutting concrete floors. They identified some 351 bodies which they handed over to the victims’ relatives, till 3:45pm on Saturday.

Till Saturday morning, some 2,507 people were rescued from the debris of the collapsed Rana Plaza.

The rescue work was hampered for 20-25 minutes due to sudden rain that started around 1:16 pm.

“We must salute those common people who dared to enter the wreckage to rescue the victims, as even our professionals didn't dare the risk,” Mizanur Rahman, deputy director of the fire service, told Reuters.

Nilufer Yasmin, a worker, told of her ordeal inside the broken building for three days.

“It felt like I was in hell,” she told reporters from her hospital bed. “It was so hot; I could hardly breathe. There was no food and water. When I regained my senses, I found myself in this hospital bed.”

However in an emergency meeting the Rescue team decided to take a pause in the rescue operation at 6 am on Sunday.

“The team members along with media personnel will visit the building to make an assessment whether there was any survivor. If there would be a survivor the rescue operation would continue,” said an official of the ISPR. 

Several private companies including Beximco Pharmaceuticals, Reneta, Ajmat Group provided medicines and oxygen cylinder for the victims.

Emdadul Islam, chief engineer of the state-run Capital Development Authority (CDA), said the owner of the building had not received the proper building consent, obtaining a permit for a five-storey building from the local municipality, which did not have the authority to grant it.

“Only CDA can give such approval,” he said. “We are trying to get the original design from the municipality, but, since the official concerned is hiding, we cannot get it readily.”

Furthermore, another three storeys had been added illegally, he said. “Savar is not an industrial zone, and for that reason no factory can be housed in Rana Plaza,” Islam told Reuters.

Islam said the building had been erected on the site of a pond filled in with sand and earth, which meant its foundations were too weak. “There were three big and very heavy generators that shook the whole building when they were operating. On that day, the generators were being used and within seconds, the building collapsed,” Islam said.

Though some sophisticated and heavy equipment were brought to the site on Saturday, for the first time after the incident, they were not used. “If we use the heavy equipment, people who are still alive inside the debris might be in danger,” an official of the rescue team said.

Meanwhile, Mitu Akhter, wife of Sohel Rana, the owner of the collapsed Rana Plaza, was detained, while two garment factory owners were arrested early on Saturday.

Asaduzzaman, officer-in-charge (OC) of Savar police station, said that they detained Mitu Akhter, 25, from her father’s house at Shahibagh, around 1 am, for interrogation.

The Detective Branch (DB) of the Dhaka district police arrested the two garment factory owners—Bazlus Samad Adnan, 45, chairman of New Wave Buttons and New Wave Style, and Mahmudur Rahman Tapas, managing director of the two garment units—from the city’s Ramna area.

At a press conference at the PID, disaster management and relief minister Abul Hasan Mahmud Ali described the collapse of Rana Plaza as “man-made”.

“It’s a man-made disaster, but we are happy with the rescue operations,” he said.

“There is great coordination among the rescuers. As many as 328 bodies have been recovered as of 11 am today, while a total of 2,413 people have been rescued so far,” the minister said on Saturday.

Ali also requested the public not to throng the site in large numbers as that would create problems in the rescue work.

Visiting the site, state minister for home Shamsul Haque Tuku said, on Saturday, that the government was leaving no stone unturned to capture Sohel Rana, owner of the collapsed Rana Plaza in Savar.

Reuters add: On Saturday, Canada’s Loblaw, a unit of George Weston Ltd and which had a small number of “Joe Fresh” apparel items made at one of the factories, said it was working with other retailers to provide aid and support.

It said it was sending representatives to Bangladesh and was also joining what it described as an urgent meeting with other retailers and the Retail Council of Canada.

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2 RMG owners arrested

Dhaka, Apr 27: After the passage of 80 hours since the tragic collapse of the 8-storey Savar building that housed nearly 5,000 workers of five garment factories, rescuers, on Saturday, were able to rescue 26 people, thus negating the perception that no one would be able to survive for 72 hours inside the debris. Besides, some of those rescued on Saturday said that there were still many survivors who were battling against death, inside the ill-fated building, which crumbled on Wednesday, killing 355 people till Saturday evening. The rescuers said that the death toll could rise. as many dead bodies could not be recovered immediately.
On Saturday, the rescuers made a breakthrough by reaching to the ground floor by cutting concrete floors. They identified some 351 bodies which they handed over to the victims’ relatives, till 3:45pm on Saturday.
Till Saturday morning, some 2,507 people were rescued from the debris of the collapsed Rana Plaza.
The rescue work was hampered for 20-25 minutes due to sudden rain that started around 1:16 pm.
“We must salute those common people who dared to enter the wreckage to rescue the victims, as even our professionals didn't dare the risk,” Mizanur Rahman, deputy director of the fire service, told Reuters.
Nilufer Yasmin, a worker, told of her ordeal inside the broken building for three days.
“It felt like I was in hell,” she told reporters from her hospital bed. “It was so hot; I could hardly breathe. There was no food and water. When I regained my senses, I found myself in this hospital bed.”
However in an emergency meeting the Rescue team decided to take a pause in the rescue operation at 6 am on Sunday.
“The team members along with media personnel will visit the building to make an assessment whether there was any survivor. If there would be a survivor the rescue operation would continue,” said an official of the ISPR.
Several private companies including Beximco Pharmaceuticals, Reneta, Ajmat Group provided medicines and oxygen cylinder for the victims.
Emdadul Islam, chief engineer of the state-run Capital Development Authority (CDA), said the owner of the building had not received the proper building consent, obtaining a permit for a five-storey building from the local municipality, which did not have the authority to grant it.
“Only CDA can give such approval,” he said. “We are trying to get the original design from the municipality, but, since the official concerned is hiding, we cannot get it readily.”
Furthermore, another three storeys had been added illegally, he said. “Savar is not an industrial zone, and for that reason no factory can be housed in Rana Plaza,” Islam told Reuters.
Islam said the building had been erected on the site of a pond filled in with sand and earth, which meant its foundations were too weak. “There were three big and very heavy generators that shook the whole building when they were operating. On that day, the generators were being used and within seconds, the building collapsed,” Islam said.
Though some sophisticated and heavy equipment were brought to the site on Saturday, for the first time after the incident, they were not used. “If we use the heavy equipment, people who are still alive inside the debris might be in danger,” an official of the rescue team said.
Meanwhile, Mitu Akhter, wife of Sohel Rana, the owner of the collapsed Rana Plaza, was detained, while two garment factory owners were arrested early on Saturday.
Asaduzzaman, officer-in-charge (OC) of Savar police station, said that they detained Mitu Akhter, 25, from her father’s house at Shahibagh, around 1 am, for interrogation.
The Detective Branch (DB) of the Dhaka district police arrested the two garment factory owners—Bazlus Samad Adnan, 45, chairman of New Wave Buttons and New Wave Style, and Mahmudur Rahman Tapas, managing director of the two garment units—from the city’s Ramna area.
At a press conference at the PID, disaster management and relief minister Abul Hasan Mahmud Ali described the collapse of Rana Plaza as “man-made”.
“It’s a man-made disaster, but we are happy with the rescue operations,” he said.
“There is great coordination among the rescuers. As many as 328 bodies have been recovered as of 11 am today, while a total of 2,413 people have been rescued so far,” the minister said on Saturday.
Ali also requested the public not to throng the site in large numbers as that would create problems in the rescue work.
Visiting the site, state minister for home Shamsul Haque Tuku said, on Saturday, that the government was leaving no stone unturned to capture Sohel Rana, owner of the collapsed Rana Plaza in Savar.
Reuters add: On Saturday, Canada’s Loblaw, a unit of George Weston Ltd and which had a small number of “Joe Fresh” apparel items made at one of the factories, said it was working with other retailers to provide aid and support.
It said it was sending representatives to Bangladesh and was also joining what it described as an urgent meeting with other retailers and the Retail Council of Canada.

Read More