Factory Fire Reveals Bangladesh’s Child Labor Problem
Child workers were among the casualties of the July 8 fire, shedding terrible light on an all-too-common problem.
By
July 21, 2021
A firefighter communicates with his colleagues on a walkie talkie inside the burnt food and beverage factory in Rupganj, outside Dhaka, Bangladesh, Friday, July 9, 2021.
Credit: AP Photo/Mahmud Hossain Opu
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On the afternoon of Thursday, July 8, a fire broke out on the ground floor of the Hashem Food & Beverages factory at Rupganj, an industrial district lying at the outskirts of Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka. Experts have pointed to the illegal storage of chemicals and plastics on the ground floor of the building as the reason behind the fire’s rapid spread. In the aftermath of the inferno, which engulfed the six-story building, more than 50 people are known to have been killed, and many others left injured or unaccounted for. The extent of the victim
New details about the horrific working conditions that created Bangladesh fire tragedy
More information has emerged about the brutal and unsafe conditions at the Shezan Juice factory where a fire on the night of July 8 killed at least 52 young workers in Narayanganj’s Bhulta area, just outside Dhaka.
A firefighter communicates with his colleagues on a walkie talkie inside the burnt food and beverage factory in Rupganj, outside Dhaka, Bangladesh, Friday, July 9, 2021. (AP Photo/Mahmud Hossain Opu)
Forty-nine workers died after being trapped on the third floor of the six-storey building with its only exit locked. Three others were killed after jumping from the burning building. The juice factory is a subsidiary of Sajeeb Group and is owned by Hashem Foods Ltd.
Bangladesh factory owner detained after blaze kills 52 phnompenhpost.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from phnompenhpost.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Published July 11, 2021, 8:22 AM
DHAKA, Bangladesh – The owner of a factory where 52 people died in a fire was arrested for murder Saturday as it emerged that children as young as 11 had been working there. Police said Abul Hashem and four of his sons were among eight people detained over the inferno, which broke out Thursday and raged for more than a day. A separate inquiry has been launched into the use of child labour at the food factory. Jayedul Alam, police chief for Narayanganj district where the factory is located, said the entrance had been padlocked along with multiple other breaches of safety regulations.