Sammilita Nari Samaj organised a rally yesterday in front of the garments factories housed in a multistoried building at Mirpur in the city, where 26 workers were killed recently in a stampede fearing a fire.

Addressing the rally. Samaj leaders termed the deaths in fire in the garments factories as killings. They urged the owners bf the factories to follow the provisions of Factories Act and labour laws.

They said that most of the garments factories did not have any fire fighting equipment and security measures. The incidents of fire in garments factories could no more be termed accidents as these had become regular events.

The Samaj leaders claimed that the factory buildings were not built as per the provisions of relevant laws. The staircases are narrow and the main entrances-of the factories reman locked, they pointed out.

They urged the garments owners to make the factories safe places for the workers.

The rally was addressed, by among others. Rabeya, an injured worker of Shanghai Fashion Ltd. Jaeda Begum, mother of one of the dead workers of the factory, Samaj leaders Shirin Akter, Farida Akter. Sima Das and Shamsunnar Josna.