Bangladesh’s Burning Problem Alarms Globalization Essay

On November 24th, 2012, Bangladeshs primp industry was badly dented when a deadly dispatch broke out in a manuf shamuring plant named Tazreen on the outskirts of Dhaka, killing an estimated 112 people who were sewing clothing for Wal-Mart, Sears, Sean Diddy Combs Enyce label, Disney and others. (cite source) The incident, the worst of tout ensemble time that the industry has seen, occurred in the busy winter season when factories atomic number 18 works round the clock to meet springtime orders. The bring up started in a warehouse on the ground floor that was used to store yarn, and chop-chop spread to the upper floors.The building was nine stories high, with the top three floors under construction, according to a groom industry prescribed at the painting who asked not to be named because he was not authorized to speak to the news program media. Though most workers had left for the day when the ack-ack gun started, the industry official tell, as many as 600 workers were still at bottom working overtime. closely of the workers who died were on the first and second floors, fire officials said, and were killed because there were not bounteous exits. So the workers could not come out when the fire engulfed the building, said Maj.Mohammad Mahbub, the operations director for the Fire Department, according to The Associated Press. In a telephone interview later on Sunday, Major Mahbub said the fire could let been caused by an electrical fault or by a spark from a cigarette. (cite your source) While Dhakas The Independent newspaper advertiseed hot flash Minister Sheikh Hasina as saying that It is not an accident. It is a preplanned incident, alluding to countermine by unnamed conspiratorial forces the High Court has ordered an un causational probe into what caused the devastating fire. Two major considerations shit been interpreted into broadside that what caused the disaster.Firstly, taking a cue from the prime minister, the police have suggest ed that it was an act of arson. Rumors are also circulating thick and fast in the garment industry that has been shocked by the scale of the accident and the huge campana of lives. Secondly, a New York Times article Factory in Bangladesh doomed Fire Clearance Before Blaze states that the factorys fire safety certification was expired on June 30, 2012 and Dhakas fire authorities rejected its renewal. Experts say many of the fires could have easily been avoided if the factories had taken the ight precautions. Many factories are in cramped neighborhoods and have too some fire escapes, and they widely flout safety measures.Labor activists have consistently alleged that factory owners in their greed for to a greater extent business and loot have given short shrift to the safety of their workers making fires a humdrum occurrence. (cite source of this quote) Safety measures remain woefully inadequate, acknowledged Farooq Sobhan, a reason diplomat, who now chairs the Center for Corpo rate Social Responsibility and is also chairperson of the Bangladesh Enterprise Institute. Factory inspectors are susceptible to bribes and enforcement is a big issue. Hopefully, this in style(p) incident is the final wake-up call for the government. (cite source) Sobhan advocates creating an independent organization with qualified experts that pot assess whether factories are truly compliant in every respect. another(prenominal) factor that makes the garment sector a tinderbox is its location or rather, the pretermit of an industrial zone for garment manufacture. Factories are widely scattered all over the country with several located in city centers, still in residential areas.This makes monitoring a nightmare, said Sobhan. Overall, both inside and outside factors led to the disaster. (cite source) The whole world pays a lot aid to Bangladeshs garment industry because it has a lot at stake. The garment industry which employs 3. 6 million people, 80% of whom are poor women, i s the basics of the countrys export sector accounting for 80% of its $24 billion annual export earnings. As companies in the US and atomic twist 63 looking for a cheaper alternative to China, have flocked to Bangladesh, garment exports have been out festering in high double-digits.Bangladeshs garment industry also associate with global retailing giant such as Wal-Mart, and other habit brand like Tommy Hilfiger and the Gap. Such a big industry, however, keeps bringing in sad news and frustrating stories, which aroused the whole community to hypothesize about a decent solution for improving the working condition in Bangladesh area. (cite source) Right after the case happened, several groups organized committees and roundtables to lot up specific demands.Organizations like Ain o Salish Kendra or ASK, have made comprehensive lists of demands, including that the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Export Association submit a report on the incident within two months. ASK demanded t hat the report include whether the industry executives comply with the relevant laws and what steps they have taken to safeguard the workers from fires. I think inter field brands should help the victims more, especially for the women and children, said Aslam Khan, general secretary of the Bangladesh Trade Union Center. Our governments authority was not sufficient, although they have a key role.The government is practically exhausting to save the owner when they have clearly shown a lack of fire safety measures and gross negligence. Moreover, numerous workers rights advocacy groups had called on Solis and a number of European government labor officials to press brands and retailers to sign onto a spliff memorandum of understanding with a group of nongovernmental organizations and international and Bangladeshi championship unions, known as the Bangladesh Fire and Building Safety Agreement. The groups claim somatic social responsibility programs are not enough and argue that mor e stringent steps such as their agreement need to be taken to prevent tragic fires in the future. PVH Corp. and German retailer Tchibo have signed onto the agreement, but it will not take effect until a specific number of firms agree to it. (cite your sources) The present state of workers safety is far from adequate and management practices in some cases are medieval.Restoring the image and status of the readymade garments sector should now be considered an urgent national task. The government, the readymade garment leaders, representatives of readymade garment workers and all others concerned must urgently rank their heads together. No stop-gap measure is likely to work. Prospect of Bangladeshs fast growth depends on safe and comfortable working condition, so does the possibility of employments of millions of special workers.