12 years of Tazreen fire: No headway in trial proceedings

The trial in the case filed over the devastating fire at the factory of Tazreen Fashions Ltd is progressing at a snail’s pace as today marks 12 years of the incident in Ashulia of Gazipur.

On 24 November 2012, 117 garment workers were killed and more than 200 others injured in a massive fire at the factory in Nishchintapur of Ashulia. Of the injured, many still bear injuries and constantly battle for survival.

Only 15 out of total 104 witnesses have testified in the case since the court ordered trial in the case by framing charges against the accused, including the factory’s Managing Director (MD) Delwar Hossain on 3 September 2015.

On Sunday (November 24), various rights organisations, injured workers, family members and relatives of the deceased workers paid floral tributes in front of the factory to commemorate the 12th anniversary of the Tazreen Fashions fire.

Various rights organizations and families of victims are observing the anniversary of the Tazreen Fashions tragedy today, but justice is still a far cry for survivors and the victims’ family members.

12 years have elapsed since the devastating fire razed Tazreen Fashions Ltd. However, there is no visible headway in trial proceedings of a case filed in connection with the incident.

The case is pending with the Dhaka First Additional District and Sessions Judge Court because of several factors.

The trial started on September 3, 2015 against 13 accused, including Tazreen Fashions Ltd’s owner and managing director Delwar Hossain, and his wife and chairman of the RMG factory, Mahmuda Akhter.

The other accused are Shahiduzzaman Dulal, Mahbubul Morshed, Hamidul Islam, Md Al Amin, Md Al Amin and Anisur Rahman, Abdur Razzak, Md Rana, Shamim Miah, Dulal Uddin and Mobarak Hossain Monju. All of them were the top officials of the factory.

Since the trial began, the court has recorded depositions of only 15 prosecution witnesses. Although the court has repeatedly set new dates for recording witness testimonies, the prosecution has continually failed to produce the witnesses before the court.

Court sources said most of the witnesses in the case are RMG workers. After the fire, many of the witnesses joined new factories and moved to new locations, and law enforcement agencies were unable to find them at their previous addresses.

There have also been allegations that the accused convinced the poverty-stricken workers not to testify before the court, by providing them with financial benefits or new employment. There is an allegation that accused are threatening them so that they do not testify before the court.