DHAKA — Bangladesh's government said Saturday it will give 200,000 takas ($2,500) to the families of those who died in a garment factory fire last week and 50,000 takas ($625) to those who were injured. The government's offer of compensation, announced to The Associated Press by Mahbubul Hoque Shakil, an aide to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, was separate from the garment industry's promise to pay the families of the victims a monthly salary for at least 10 years. The fire a week ago killed 112 people and put renewed focus on the lack of proper safety precautions at some of the nation's 4,000 garment factories. The $20 billion industry accounts for 80 percent of Bangladesh's exports. More than 1,000 workers at the Tazreen factory in a Dhaka suburb protested outside the burned-out facility on Saturday demanding compensation for their lost wages. The government announced they would be paid for November, but some angry workers demanded they be given four months' salary. Extra police were deployed to the area to maintain calm, said Kader Dewan, an assistant commissioner of police. Meanwhile, international garment firms have demanded fast action to ensure the safety of Bangladeshi textile workers, a week after a plant fire killed more than 100 people, a senior industry official in the country said on Saturday. Mohammad Shafiul Islam, President of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), said a 19-member buyers' forum was blunt in suggesting it would “lose confidence” in the country's industry unless change came fast. Rights groups have called on big-brand firms to sign up for a fire safety program. Islam quoted company officials at the meeting on Friday as saying that while some factories in Bangladesh observed safety regulations, “many of them do not comply with these”. “Now we want to see proper action towards implementation of compliance issues, instead of commitments,” he quoted Roger Hubert, Vice-President of Hong Kong-based Li & Fung Ltd , as telling the meeting. Hubert, he said, pledged financial support for the families of those who died in the fire. Representatives of Li & Fung and other companies present were unavailable for comment. A senior official from the BGMEA said the association had agreed to pay one month in back wages on behalf of the plant and was trying to settle all outstanding issues. The meeting was attended by representatives of major clothing companies, including H&M, TSS, SEARS, TCHIBO, Global Merchants, GAP Inc, Nike Inc, LEVIS, Kappahl, Carrefour and Primark. No representative of Wal-Mart Stores Inc. was present. — Reuters
