Although a year has passed since the Barguna launch fire tragedy, families still mourn their missing loved ones.   A devastating fire broke out at Barguna-bound launch ‘MV-Avijan-10’ on December 24 last year. The launch, with 800 passengers on board, was heading towards Barguna and the fire broke out on Sugandha river in Jhalakathi.   Forty-nine people died in the tragedy while the exact numbers of passengers traveling on the launch and the missing passengers are yet to be known. One hundred people were injured in the incident.    Many did not get any compensation for what they lost during the fire. Besides, families of missing passengers say no financial assistance has been provided to them.   After the fire, the local administration of Barguna district handed over 25 bodies to their relatives while 23 people were buried in a mass graveyard in the district.   Khalil, along with his wife and three children, was heading towards Barguna by the launch. Khalil and his wife managed to survive but they still mourn their three missing children.   Meanwhile, Golam Mahbub’s offspring and elderly mother are inconsolable after losing him and his brother during the launch fire.   Criminal Investigation Department (CID) collected samples of 51 people for identifying the 23 unclaimed bodies that were buried in Potkakhali mass graveyard in the Sadar upazila of Barguna district. Sixteen eople have been identified through DNA test.   A case with Barguna Chief Judicial Magistrate Court against the owner of MV Avijan-10, Hamjalal Sheikh, and 24 others in connection with the deadly fire on the launch has been lodged, said Shahidul Islam Milon, inspector (Investigation) of Barguna police station.  

Nine years have gone by, but the affected families and survivors of Rana Plaza collapse are still haunted by the memory of the worst-ever tragedy in the country’s multi-billion-dollar ready-made garment (RMG) industry. Different right bodies, worker organisations and left-leaning political parties and  Rana Plaza Survivors’ Association have undertaken various programmes remembering the tragedy. Many workers’ organisations placed floral wreaths at the base of the Rana Plaza Memorial Sunday morning. The family members of the deceased and injured victims were also present there. Leaders and activists of different organisations also brought out a procession demanding capital punishment of Rana Plaza owners and compensation for victims’ families. On April 24, 2013, Rana Plaza, an illegally-constructed building in Savar which housed five garment factories, came down crashing, killing 1,138 people and injuring over 2,000 others. Little progress in Rana Plaza cases Trial in the murder case filed over Rana Plaza collapse in 2013 began officially on January 31 this year by recording statements of the witnesses. On July 18, 2016, Dhaka District and Session Court Judge SM Kuddus Zaman framed charges against the accused and passed an order to begin the trial. But it got barred as most of the accused appealed to the higher court challenging legality of the order. On January 31, after clearing the appeals, District and Sessions Court Judge AHM Habibur Rahman Bhuiyan recorded the statement of plaintiff, then Sub-Inspector of Savar police station Wali Ashraf. Prime accused in the case, owner of Rana Plaza Sohel Rana is currently in jail while 40 others are on bail. Over the tragic incident then SI of Savar police station Wali Ashraf filed a murder case accusing the owner and others of dereliction and negligence in building construction. On June 1, 2015, Assistant Superintendent of Crime Investigation Department (CID) of police Bijoy Krishna Kar submitted charge sheet in the case against 41 people including the building owner Sohel Rana.

Dhaka, Apr 24 (UNB) - The 8th anniversary of the Rana Plaza collapse, the worst-ever tragedy in the country’s multi-billion-dollar ready-made garment (RMG) industry, is being observed on Saturday amid the coronavirus pandemic. This year, there will be no outdoor programmes to recall the victims due to the outbreak of coronavirus. Read Why Rana Plaza owner’s bail shouldn’t be stayed, asks HC Different right bodies, worker organisations and left-leaning political parties, including Rana Plaza Survivors’ Association, usually arrange various programmes every year, remembering the tragedy. On April 24, 2013, Rana Plaza, an illegally-constructed building in Savar which housed five garment factories, came down crashing, killing 1,138 people and injuring over 2,000 others. According to the survey conducted by ActionAid Bangladesh, the physical health condition of 14 percent of survivors is getting worse. Also read: 57pc Rana Plaza survivors remain unemployed: Survey Among them, 58.5 percent are more or less stable, and 27.5 percent are completely stable. Most of the 14 percent survivors reported that they are still bearing a headache, pain in hand and leg and back pain. In terms of psychosocial health, 12.5 percent are still in trauma in comparison to 10.5 percent survivors last year. Currently, 62 percent reported that they are more or less stable, and 25.5 percent have recovered fully compared to 21 percent last year. A total of 4.5 percent more survivors have improved their mental health than last year. Also read: HC issues rule on why Rana Plaza owner should not get bail These findings were disclosed in a virtual dialogue titled ‘COVID-19: Challenges for the Rana Plaza Tragedy Survivors’ on April 22 organised by ActionAid Bangladesh in memory of the 8th year of Rana Plaza tragedy. The survey was conducted among 200 survivors of the Rana Plaza collapse.