More than 100 new ready-made garment (RMG) factories are running in buildings that the government authorities previously found unsafe for operation.
According to officials, the remediation coordination cell (RCC) under labour ministry spotted 105 such units operating in risky buildings in Dhaka, Gazipur, Narayanganj and Chattogram.
The cell also identified the additional 93 non-RMG operations in unsafe buildings.
The RCC was formed in 2017 to verify and monitor remediation progress in 1,549 garment units inspected under the National Initiative (NI) by the government and the International Labour Organisation.
During May to October 2020, RCC engineers visited some 531 closed factories out of the inspected units, said RCC project director AKM Salehuddin in a letter on March 18.
It found 80 new factories replacing the previously closed 80 buildings while more than one was established in each of the 25 closed factories.
The new units replacing the previously closed ones need re-inspection for implementation of the required remediation measures, read the letter.
The letter sent to the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments (DIFE) also said the RCC could not monitor or oversee these new units as they have not been inspected under the NI.
Moreover, factory owners could be made aware of fresh fire, electrical and structural safety in new units to avoid any untoward incident, Mr Salehuddin mentioned.
He sought the DIFE measures in this connection so that these new factories are being assessed and remediated accordingly for the sake of safety.
In a separate letter on March 14, the RCC made the same recommendation for some 93 non-RMG operations found in unsafe buildings where RMG units were earlier shut.
Out of 93, some 70 are offices or showrooms, 11 are residential buildings and 12 are used as warehouses or godowns, according to the letter.
The RCC also requested measures to inform these new units of the previous listing of the closed RMG factories.
Even the DIFE should be informed before they start any activity in those buildings, it said.
