e_Paper 24-04-2017

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14 MONDAY, APRIL 24, 2017 DT Opinion The revolutionary industry The Rana Plaza collapse was a big blow to our economy, but we managed to learn a lot from it • Mamun Rashid I was nearly forced into the BGMEA advisory board by my friend Atiqul Islam, former BGMEA president, to help him come out of the mess that was the Rana Plaza collapse and other relevant incidents. It was a very challenging time -- morale was down, many small factories were taken out of the global supply chain, orders were cancelled, rights groups were becoming vocal against the Bangladesh apparel sector and so was the international civil society, academia, and development partners. Anything the BGMEA leadership thought of doing was twisted against them, be it individually or collectively. Every little concession or waiver from the government was being challenged by the media and part of the local civil society. There were surprises everywhere. A headless chicken Our BGMEA friends didn’t know what to do. The government and senior political leadership were out to salvage our apparel sector in any way possible -- perhaps the silver lining in this sordid affair. Our PMO, finance ministry, labour ministry, and the foreign ministry showed an unprecedented combined effort in tackling the situation. The buyers, upon pressure from international civil society, somehow echoed voice of a portion of our civil society; and the government decided to form Accord and Alliance to streamline their efforts in ensuring worker safety in our RMG sector. While the ILO put in an integrated effort along with the government. The sad part was that certain elements within the BGMEA leadership were still feeling rather restrictive, and even aggressive to some extent. They were averse to any criticism or media reports, even if it was genuinely constructive. We had long sessions with them and Atiqul Islam. We forced them to bite a few bullets -- build bridges with media community, the civil society, the international media, and business school professors, and, more importantly, hold regular dialogue with workers and their leaders. Most of us realised that our workers were the true partners in progress -- and we genuinely need to take care of our true partners Damage control That was the time we recruited a few serving journalists to join the BGMEA, strengthened their research wing, got in touch with leading academia at Harvard Business School and Stern School of Business, changed the BGMEA directory to “apparel story” to accommodate more opinions from the factory floors and other stakeholders. In the same way, BATEXPO became the “Bangladesh Apparel Summit.” With extensive help from ILO, the EU, and other global stake-holders, we were able to put up Centre of Excellence for Bangladesh Apparel Industry. The market could see a lot of synergy taking place between broader stake-holders. It wasn’t all about scrubbing The cornerstone of our country off the bad image and reputation that our RMG industry had donned after Rana Plaza; we also worked very closely with National Board of Revenue and Bangladesh Bank to reevaluate the apparel industry’s tariff structure, especially to save the small ones from the brink of collapse, increase the size of the export development fund (EDF), and increase the entity/single party limit under EDF. We initiated dialogue with the Japanese embassy and JICA to explore the possibilities of putting up a financing package in order to retrofit and relocate the small factories. We held several discussions with regard to putting up an integrated financing package for establishing the “garments polli” at Bausia, Munshiganj. The true partners We weren’t quite as successful as we’d hoped we’d be, since a befittingly large financing package at an affordable rate could not be arranged commercially. A few Chinese companies did show interest, one even signed an MoU. I am not aware of the latest development. One thing we understood was that the Bangladesh apparel industry has reached the “too big to fail” stage, due to its size and product diversity. Most of us realised that our workers were the true partners in progress -- and we genuinely need to take care of our true partners. We kept on talking about “productivity improvement,” but not much could be done as it required heavy financial commitment. While few of our apparel producers reached an enviable stage -- be it green factory environment, workers health and safety, building technology solutions, or the business reengineering process -- many others lagged behind. It’s important to note how most of our producers realised that the RAJIB DHAR government can’t do much apart from using police force to pacify mobs or workers. We need to solve our own problems in managing workers, through the adoption of better technology to increase production, avoiding any surprises by putting up improved fire-safety equipment, and ensuring worker training and efficient financing package. We are now talking to the media, the US state department, the EU, and other development partners much more openly than in the past. We are ready to take criticism into account, go the extra mile to build friendships, and constantly research new avenues for growth. Thanks to Atiq and his BGMEA team for rising to the occasion and making a commitment to learning from mistakes. • Mamun Rashid is a leading economic analyst and former advisory board member, BGMEA.
Stitched in woe Opinion 15 DT MONDAY, APRIL 24, 2017 With all the talk about its impact on the economy, there are few discussions on how Rana Plaza affected the survivors SERPENT IN EDEN • Towheed Feroze In 2014, a year after the deadly Rana Plaza incident, a news bit caught my eye: Unable to bear her excruciating pain, Salma, a young survivor of the building collapse, committed suicide. The news only gave the basic facts with quotes from her husband whose rather clinical reply seemed to say that he was not shocked. Don’t blame him, in a vicious social segment, where all of life’s emotions and dynamics revolve around the earning of enough money to carry on living, patience to tolerate any form of financial strain is thin. For a survivor who was out of work and had no money to pay for better treatment, ending life which was saved just over a year ago, was the only option. That story not only jolted me but opened many alleys for deeper introspection. How much was needed to reduce her pain and make her want to look forward to life with renewed hope? Alas, for people like Salma, the top brass does not authorise best medical care or treatment abroad. Was there any psychological treatment meted out for the traumatised survivors? For many recalling the tragedy of 2013, the vivid images are of the incident itself and of those unfortunate people who died horrific deaths -- their bodies, discovered during removal of rubble, unknowingly becoming the clicked-on images of human bondage when death came calling. But I wanted to look at all those who survived, and are still suffering. For Salma, it was a survival of relentless suffering. She took her own life; the reports state that but the long tale of unending distress and sleepless nights are not recorded. Others may not have taken such an extreme action, but, reportedly, many living with wounds from the accident have had their everyday lives curtailed. Are we doing enough? It’s been four years since the disaster, these are the people Some lost more than a job Once again, the need for union is felt. But while local apathy is a reason, the blame also goes to foreign buyers, who persistently pressure to get products at a lower rate that society needs to seek out and ascertain if avoiding death at a price had given them a better existence. For the textile sector in general, the accident has paved the way for more effort to ensure better working conditions and, in the last four years, many factories have ramped up their security measures, holding fire and safety drills at regular intervals. RMG remediation fund support local textile factories to improve structure and fire safety, adding a much-needed sense of security among workers. Anjuman, a thread cutter in the sprawling garment factory belonging to the Debonair Group, says that work environment has become markedly safer in the last year. The massive red door, which looked too heavy and cumbersome to her and her fellow workers when they were first fitted, now add to her sense of security. “Seeing the doors for the first time, I was a little intimidated, but now we all know how to use them and understand that, in case of an accident, these (doors) will help us remain safe,” says the 20-yearold who has also been a witness to a series of other security related changes within the large factory, housing a staggering 4,000 workers. Debonair is one of the textile companies that carried out safety remediation after taking a loan from City Bank, which received $10 million from International Finance Corporation (IFC) as remediation fund to disburse among factory owners wanting to ramp up safety. But, the overall situation in the garment sector remains turbulent. If there is satisfaction among workers in the larger factories, there is also marked disenchantment among those who work in smaller ones. A few weeks ago, textile workers in Ashulia clashed with police over reported disgruntlement relating to pay and other promised facilities. A day to remember every day The Rana Plaza tragedy should always be remembered, but let’s just not turn this into a one-day memorial to be shoved aside the next. While the campaign for better safety is underway, other issues continue to plague the sector and the most fractious one relates to minimum wage. In this context, discord is regular, with clashes breaking out often, resulting in a lingering sense of ill will between garment factory owners and the staff. Once again, the need for union is felt. But while local apathy is a reason, the blame also goes to SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN foreign buyers, who persistently pressure to get products at a lower rate. These buyers, who want to get the cheapest rate and sell them at the highest, cannot evade responsibility. A way out A long-term solution for worker unrest can be reached, once more special economic zones with clearly laid-out rules about wages and safety are in operation. Taking issues ranging from safety to wages to worker insurance require a relatively comprehensive approach. Approaching just a few factories at a time will prove to be timeconsuming and ineffective. Special Economic Zones (SEZs) are the answers and the government must act promptly. Coming back to Salma’s suicide, I am certain that there are many others who, with severe injuries, continue to face untold hardship. On this day, let us also find those survivors and try to understand the physical and psychological damage that they are trying to negotiate with every moment. • Towheed Feroze is a journalist currently working in the development sector.
Page 1 and 2: SECOND EDITION MONDAY, APRIL 24, 20
Page 3 and 4: Workplace safety in govt-inspected
Page 5 and 6: Mayors lock horns over coloured bus
Page 7 and 8: Prof Rezaul’s colleagues, student
Page 9 and 10: Furious Afghans call for resignatio
Page 11 and 12: NBR: Upcoming budget to be investme
Page 13: Opinion 13 DT MONDAY, APRIL 24, 201
Page 17 and 18: What’s on 17 MONDAY, APRIL 24, 20
Page 19 and 20: Sports 19 DT MONDAY, APRIL 24, 2017
Page 21 and 22: Sports 21 MONDAY, APRIL 24, 2017 DT
Page 23 and 24: Aynabaji on TV Showtime 23 MONDAY,

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