BILS and The Daily Star jointly organised a roundtable titled, “Five Years of Rana Plaza : Experience, Achievement and Way Forward” on April 23, 2018 at Azimur Rahaman Conference Hall of The Daily Star Center recalling Five Years of Rana Plaza building collapse.
Speakers in the programme emphasized for taking integrated steps of all parties initiatives aimed at taking permanent measures to prevent major workplace disasters in future. They also recommended for ensuring stable relation between owners and workers by Trade Union right and collective bargaining and ensuring important issues such as treatment, rehabilitation and compensation for managing this kind of disaster.
Discussants in the roundtable also recommended forming a special committee aimed at following national construction policy properly and its proper implementation by ensuring rehabilitation for victim workers at workplace accident in the amendment of Labour Law. Institutionalizing workplace safety according to the experience of five years, according to the standards of the International Labor Organization, compensation for the victims will be provided as well as accident insurance, bringing workers under insurance as well as changing their wage structure for ensuring their lives security, forming an effective safety committee, resolving industrial problems by establishing trade unions and building mutual-trust between owners and workers through social dialogue, coordinating the concerned stakeholders, building hospitals at field level, establishing mini fire station and chemical park in the industrial area, clarifying the role of industrial police to concerned all and specially to Trade Union.
The roundtable was chaired by BILS Vice Chairman Shirin Akhter, MP while Sramik Nirapotta Forum Convener Dr. Hameeda Hossain, BGMEA Vice-President Mohammad Nasir, Ministry of Labour and Employment Former Secretary Mikail Shiper, BILS Secretary General Nazrul Islam Khan, ILO Country Office Bangladesh Acting Director Gagan Raibhandari, Department of Inspection for Factory And Establishment director General Md. Shamsuzzaman Bhuiyan, Department of Fire Service and Civil Defence Brig. Gen. Ali Ahmed Khan, PSC; National Orthopedic Hospital and Rehabilitation Institution Director Professor Md. Abdul Gani Molla, BILS Advisory Council Member Roy Ramesh Chandra, Shah Mohd. Abu Zafar, Mesbahuddin Ahmed, Joint Secretary General Dr. Wajedul Islam Khan, Secretary Rawshan Zahan Sathi, SKOP Joint Coordinator Naimul Ahsan Jewel, CRP Executive Director Md. Shafiqul Islam, Accord Bangladesh Executive Director Rob Wayss, FES Country Resident Tina Blowm, CPD Director Khandokar Golam Moazzem, IndustriAll Bangladesh Secretary General Md. Towhidur Rahman. BILS Executive Director Syed Sultan Uddin Ahmmed participated in the discussion. Besides, experts associated with workplace safety, Leaders of National Trade Union Federations and human rights organisations, owner parties organisations, specialists and organisations at occupational health, NGOs, lawyers and media representatives participated in the roudtable.