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Fire in garments factories
Sir. Fire through electrical short circuits and deaths thereby has come to our garments industries as a common phenomenon. Many suggestions are being published in the dailies as to the remedial measures to be taken. Narrow approaches and in sufficient exit routes have been pointed out as the causes of deaths. However, none has pointed out the causes as to why fire occurs through short circuits.
Being associated with electrical industry I have made
x>me observations over the last two years. The basic cause Is faulty electrical installations. Almost all industries have their electrical installations done by unqualified technicians. The industrialists do it for cheap price sometimes, but most of the time they are obliged to adopt this allegedly to get favour from the electricity providing body in the city. These technicians do not have licence from the Electrical Licensing Board and do not care for any standard to be followed. But it is said, unless these technicians are given the installation job. the industry
owner will have tough time getting power connection. Such technicians also do not care for any safety regulations or practices. for being in the solid ground of government employment they are little responsibilities to any one. Most of the time the factory owners never know that the fire has been caused due to faulty installations and even if some time some one knows he has no way to catch the installer.
It would be futile to suggest for imposition of a law against this unscrupulous practice as it is far harder a task to implement any law in our country. It is the factory owners who should be conscious about the matter. They should be aware of their responsibility of the loss of human lives, those lives who have placed their trust in them in lieu of their livelihood not to speak of the factory owners' own financial losses.
It would be my suggestion that the owners snoula utilise the services of those electrical contractors who have ABC contractor's licence. In case of any accident and the consequential loss thereby the contractors should be used for remedial compensation to make good all the losses, should it be proved that the accident is due to contractor's fault.
Should the garments factory owners take initiative in following the suggested practice. 1 am optimistic that the electrical hazards in their Industries would be reduced to a great extent.
Nurul Basher
Khilgaon. Dhaka
Arsenic Month
Sir. The general secretary of Forum of Environment Journalists of Bangladesh prepared arsenic alert report which was printed in the DS on 21 July.
The report says that 40 million people in rural Bangladesh are now at risk of arsenic poisoning.
Since arsenic is a long-term problem, the government of Bangladesh should take necessary step to prevent it. My suggestion to the government is: declare an 'arsenic month’, raise awareness among the people about arsenic by special programme on radio. TV. through dallies etc.
Sheikh Shah/ahan M Com. Final Year Dept, of Accounting 245. Zahurul Haq Hall Dhaka University
NGOs and national projects
Sir. The recent press reports on the progress of work of the Jamuna Bridge project were informative, thanks to the collaboration of JMBP authority. It is hoped the press would be allowed to visit the site every six months.
One interesting feature was the involvement of a large local NGO in the resettling of the affected families who were displaced from the working areas. Similarly, the specialist NGOs may also render service in other smaller projects in the public and private sectors. At present, the NGOs are involved in field work, mostly in the rural areas at the poverty level. The NGOs are concentrated in some particular sectors: tree plantation, health, mother and child care, sanitation, education etc.
Now it is time to focus attention in the service and technical training sectors, and also help the small business enterprises to learn the (ricks of the trade on how to become successful in small business. This also applies to the small workshops dotted all along the country.
operated by persons with meagre educational background, and lacking R&D facilities.
The research and development centres of a particular trade may be located at divisional or district headquarters, running on a pooled system, sharing the capital investment costs, which a single company cannot bear. Technical training at the lower and smaller level has also to be encouraged using the expertise of the local and foreign NGOs.
For these new ventures, the coordinating agencies have to maintain closer working relationship with ADAB and other NGO apex bodies. The NGOs have to diversify in their field activities, if Bangladesh is to develop quickly at the base, to ensure the presence of solid foundation at the initial stage.
AZabr Dhaka
Systems loss in garment industry Sir. Our export-oriented readymade garment industry is capturing the headlines more for inefficiency and mismanagement than the credible export performance. The spate of fires In the factories has revealed the callousness and indifference to daily routine application of standard safety practices; which should not be there after more than decade of experience.
Safety measures against the outbreak of fires is not a high-tech Job. Three agencies are involved to draw up the guidelines for daily operation: The Fire Brigade (technical inputs), the office of the Factory Inspectorate for the enforcement of the regulations, and the apex bodies such as the BGMEA and the Employees’ Associations representing the management
and labour codes for the environment input. The implementing body is the Management group in each factory.
The Inspector of Factories can nip in the bud all sbstan-dard pracUces through regular inspections and puniUve ac-Uons in the course of daily routine work. Their lapses cannot be condoned, as it involves injury or loss of life, which can be prevented.
It appears that the Management sector Is run in an amateurish manner, from the administrative point of view, as the absence of good pracUces adversely affect personnel or output. Two performance figures are important: the level of professional management, and the producUon performance figures. Both relate to efficiency. In developing countries, the human systems loss figure is on the higher side: and should come down with experience and strict ImplementaUon of regulations. Self-regulatory Cractices within the industry ave to be encouraged by the government and the apex bodies.
The performance of the apex bodies or associations or unions is not enviable. The area of active interest practised by the office-bearers is restricted to a few Items (agitations, demands. concessions, waivers, protests, strikes, hartals — most of it negaUve. and putUng the blame on others) The positive virtues for internal improvement are hardly practised, for example, raising the efficiency, better working conditions. and the enhancement of ameniUes.
There appears to be a narrow subjective outlook to the opera Uon of the trade and labour bodies The grey and weak areas have to be exposed through de . bates, seminars and workshops.' to motivate the members, ano to
increase the awareness level of the public (via the mass media).
A Husnain Dhaka
Agonies of a mother
Sir. Three years ago I met Neela Chowdhury, mother of the filmstar Salman Shah. I Interviewed her from a national weekly. She said that "she had no weapon in her hand to stop organised political massacre and restore healthy atmosphere in the society".
She appealed to the authority in front of the Press Club for punishing the murderer of her son Salman.
Now a question naturally arises : "Is Mrs. Chowdhury really the victim of the circumstances prevailing in the society?" If the relief sought for by Mrs. Chowdhury is not afforded to her. she will undoubtedly be in the state of severe frustration than what she already has experienced.
Mostafa Sohel
Banani. Dhaka
Rejuvenating the ageing UN
Sir. It is becoming Increasingly difficult to understand and support the US foreign policy, and the way she looks at tat and ageing UN. Annan's slimming recipe is not enough for the US taste for skeleton or bones. Recall the fate of the League of Nations during post World War I.
Let us try some US peacekeeping force here to control mastoans. corruption, campus violence, and what not — guaranteed there will be no empty brain for the devil s workshop!
A Pro UN Citizen
Dhaka