IUF Bangladesh affiliate rallies to demand justice for victims of factory fire disaster

The IUF-affiliated Bangladesh Agricultural Farm Labour Federation (BAFLF) organized a mass rally and human chain in Gazipur near the capital Dhaka on September 21 to demand the arrest of the owner of the Tampaco Foils Factory and proper compensation to the families of those who perished in the September 10 explosion and fire.  At least 34 people are known to have perished in the explosion and blaze at the factory, which manufactured packaging materials for local and multinational companies including Nestlé and British American Tobacco (BAT).

Speakers at the rally called for swift action to arrest and prosecute the fugitive owner, a former MP, and all those bearing responsibility for the loss of life. The factory’s construction provided no adequate safety protection to workers and no access for effective firefighting. Following the rally, a BAFLF team submitted a memorandum to the local authority calling for the arrest and punishment of all those responsible for the deaths and action to ensure compensation.