The New York Daily News
written by Michael Walsh
Tuesday November 27, 2012
Top Bangladesh officials suspect that this weekend’s fatal factory fire was an act of arson, and activists say they've uncovered apparel for Sean “Diddy” Combs’ Enyce clothing line among the debris.
Activists are putting pressure on Combs to push for better working conditions after the massive fire reportedly killed at least 112 workers and injured about 200 in the multistory building Saturday night. The fire, which has sparked huge protests, was reportedly the deadliest in the country’s history.
Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said Monday that the factory fire was “planned arson.” The country's interior minister, Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir, agrees with Hasina's assessment.
"We have come to the conclusion that it was an act of sabotage," Alamgir said. "We are finding out as of now who exactly the saboteurs are, and all culprits will be brought to book."
The fire department operations director, Major Mohammad Mahbub, on the other hand, said a short circuit likely caused the fire, according to investigators.
Mahbub noted that many lives could have been saved if the building had just one emergency exit, reported The Guardian.
Tragically, the absence of a single emergency exit turned the factory into a deathtrap once the fire broke out – whether it was accidental or premeditated.
Local activists photographed and distributed images of clothing labels from the wrecked Tazreen Fashion factory in Ashulia outside the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka.
Now labor rights activists are calling on Combs to parlay his fame into progressive change for garment workers.
“We are sure that Mr Combs will be as shocked as we are to find that his company is implicated in such an horrific tragedy” said Liz Parker of the Clean Clothes Campaign. “We urge him to use his influence to make sure clothing factories are safe places for people to work.”
"Out deepest condolences go out to the families of the victims involved in the tragedy," said Jeffrey Tweedy, president of Enyce.
Other garments found among the remnants were manufactured for C&A, Dickies, Fashion Basics, Infinity Woman, Sears and Wal-Mart, according to the Clean Clothes Campaign.
C&A released a statement that it felt “deep solidarity with the families affected.” Likewise, Wal-Mart disclosed its connection with the Tazreen Fashion factory but also terminated business with it, according to a statement Monday.
“A supplier subcontracted work to this factory without authorization and in direct violation of our policies. Today, we have terminated the relationship with that supplier,” the statement read.
Bangladesh’s garment industry constitutes 80 percent of its $24 billion in exports. Six-thousand people in the country die in fires annually, according to the government news agency Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha.
Tim Ryan, Asia regional director for the Solidarity Center, thinks that the right for workers to organize could prevent future tragedies of this nature.
“One of the most basic remedies for this is freedom of association,” Ryan told the Daily News. “If you actually have workers who have a voice in their workplace, they can point out terrible safety conditions and that their lives are at threat.”
“We’re in the 21st century,” Ryan added, “and the notion that the only way you can do business in a multibillion dollar industry is… where workers have to sacrifice their lives just to make clothes is untenable.”
Tuesday was declared a day of mourning in Bangladesh. The country’s approximately 4,500 factories were closed, according to Quartz.
Mosques, temples and churches offered special prayer services in honor of the victims, reported CNN.
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