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The government has extended the deadline for completing the remediation work in garment factories, inspected under national initiative, up to December 2018.
State minister for labour Mujibul Haque Chunnu came up with the new deadline at a meeting with the owners of the readymade garment (RMG) factories in the city on Thursday.
"…Complete the remediation work by December. Otherwise, strict measures will be taken in January next year," he said.
He also warned that factories failing to complete the job by December might face closure.
The meeting was held at the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) headquarters.
The previous deadline was April 30 last, set by the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments (DIFE).
The state minister said the Accord and the Alliance, two platforms of the Western buyers, have been strict regarding the remediation work.
Many factories have faced closure due to non-compliance with the criteria, he added.
"You (factory owners) are not fixing your structural, fire and electrical flaws as the government was not as strict as the Accord and the Alliance," he said.
Labour secretary Afroza Khan, additional secretary Khondaker Mostan Hossain, DIFE inspector general Shamsuzzaman Bhuiyan and BGMEA president Md Siddiqur Rahman were present in the meeting.
At the meeting, majority of the factory owners' representatives sought the extension of time ranging from three months to one year.
There would be no buyer if the factories remain non-compliant, Mujibul Haque warned.
He also said pressure from various groups, including the international community, continues to grow in this regard.
After the collapse of Rana Plaza building, the Western buyers formed the Accord and the Alliance to improve workplace safety in the readymade garment sector.
They have inspected structural, fire and electrical integrity in 2395 garment factories in the country since then.
About 85 per cent and 89 per cent of factories affiliated with the Accord and the Alliance respectively have completed remediation work.
On the other hand, 1549 garment units were inspected under the national initiative.
Of them, 755 factories are currently in business while 573 others were closed down for various reasons, DIFE inspector general Shamsuzzaman Bhuiyan said.
Some 79 factories moved out of rented buildings, 12 are located in export processing zones and 123 got enlisted with the Accord and seven with the Alliance, he explained.
Out of 755 factories, a total of 165 units are yet to start post-inspection flaw-fixing work while the progress rate of remediation in 192 units is below 20 per cent, he said.
Some 21 per cent to 30 per cent progress was recorded in 65 factories while 385 factories have completed 31 per cent to 99 per cent remediation work.
"Only seven factories, out of the 755, have completed all the required work," Mr Bhuiyan said.
At the meeting, the state minister asked the DIFE officials to give feedback to the factory authorities regarding detailed engineering assessment (DEA) within three weeks.
The instruction came after a factory representative complained that they are yet to get any response from DIFE even after seven months of submission of DEA report.