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COLLAPSED SAVAR FACTORY

Workers return without pay

JU CORRESPONDENT
Hundreds of jobless employees and relatives of the victims who died in the collapse of Spectrum Sweaters Industries Ltd in Savar thronged the factory premises yesterday, hoping to draw desperately needed salaries as it was rumoured to be a pay day.
"Calling at the National Memorial premises last Saturday, the general manager and production manager of
the factory assured they would give us our salaries by the end of this week after the rescue operation is finished. We have heard the rumour that today is a pay day," Noorjahan complained to The Daily Star.
She continued in despair, "How long can we wait when we are being forced out of our houses because we cannot pay the rent? We have nowhere to go."
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Despite the desperation of the workers, authorities had little or no information about their payments, and could only counsel patience.
"I can only ask them to keep patient as no representative from the authorities has informed me about the payment," said Md Abu Taher Bhuiyan, security in charge, adding. "I am also owed two months salary."
Ali Azim Khan, convenor of the inquiry committee formed to investigate the collapse, said, "We are trying to press the authorities of the factory to pay the employee's outstanding bills."
The collapse of the sweater factory has left about 3,400 employees jobless, forcing many to fast or to beg from shop to shop. A large number of employees have also been forced out of their residencs or have voluntarily left because they cannot pay the rent.
Others described that they cannot pay their medical bills. "I will not work ever in my life as my right hand is badly fractured. Though the authorities assured us they would carry the medical expenses, I have had to stop treatment as I don't have money," said a sobbing Abdul Majid, a sweeper on the 4th floor of the sweater factory.
Meanwhile, the district administration has sealed off the area of the collapsed garment factory, deploying about 100 police, two platoons of armed police battalion, and 22 security guards to look after the recovered goods.
Officials say only four to five families of missing victims came yesterday to inquire about their near and dear ones. "We asked them to contact the thana," said Md Majharul Islam, assistant sub inspector of Savar thana.
Other relatives looking at photographs identified two out of the four unidentified dead bodies recovered from the debris and buried by Savar thana police. One is Robin of Shaturia in Manikganj while the other is Mohammad Ali.
With those last identifications, police say, there is little information left to give. "We have only two more unidentified to be identified and we can't do anything for other relatives coming in search of the victims as we have no more information about anyone else from the site," said Rakibul Huq, sub-inspector of Savar thana.
The 15-member inquiry committee formed to investigate the collapse visited the site yesterday with a full team and expertise from BUET and is expecting to prepare its report
by May 1.
"We have come to inspect from every point of view. We are working hard to make the report perfectly without any delay and it will be completed by May 1," said Ali Azim Khan, adding, "We have taken an extra three days from the government for the investigation as our fixed seven day time has expired."