13 years after the Tazreen fire, victims still bear the scars as justice stalls

Today (24 November) marks 13 years since the devastating fire at Tazreen Fashions Limited in Ashulia—one of the deadliest industrial disasters in the history of Bangladesh's garment sector.

On this day in 2012, at least 117 garment workers were killed and many others were injured when a catastrophic blaze swept through the factory located in Nishchintapur, Ashulia.

From this morning, families of the victims, injured workers, and leaders of various labor organizations gathered in front of the charred building to pay tribute with flowers and remember those who lost their lives in the tragedy.

They offered prayers seeking eternal peace for the deceased and observed a one-minute silence. Later, during a human chain protest, victims' families, injured workers, and labor leaders expressed frustration that justice has still not been ensured.

They also demanded the highest punishment for those responsible, compensation equivalent to a lifetime's income for deceased and affected workers, and rehabilitation for the injured.

During a visit to the site today, five women of different ages were seen lying on mats in front of the building, wrapped in blankets. A lock hung on the gate on the second floor of the multi-story structure. Burn marks on the inner walls and ceiling remained clearly visible as relatives of the victims, injured workers, and labor leaders gathered outside.

Recalling the horrors of that night, Mahmuda from Rangpur, who was lying wrapped in a blanket, said, "I was on the 5th floor. We didn't know a fire had broken out below."

"After the alarm rang, we ran down to the 3rd floor and found the gate locked. There was no way out. Then we entered a room and saw people jumping out of the window to save their lives. I also jumped. I fell and injured my neck," she added.

Expressing anger at the absence of justice, she added, "So many years have passed, but the culprits haven't been punished. We haven't even received proper compensation."

Another injured worker, Khadija Akhter Sumi, said, "I was a sewing helper on the 6th floor. When the alarm rang in the evening, everyone started running. I saw smoke after coming down one floor. Then I went to the roof and tried to climb down but fell. I suffered severe head injuries and behaved almost like a mentally ill person for nearly three years. I couldn't recognize anyone. My husband even left me because of my mental condition."

Khairul Mamun, legal affairs secretary of the Bangladesh Garment and Sweater Workers Trade Union Centre, told The Business Standard, "This was a premeditated killing. The investigation report also stated this. Instead of punishing those responsible, the previous government awarded the owner of Tazreen."

"We haven't seen any effective initiative from the government to prevent such disasters. The interim government promised compensation and rehabilitation, but nearly a year and a half has passed with no visible implementation," he added.

Labor leaders present at the site said, "It has been 13 years since the incident, yet there has been no justice. Families of the dead continue to live in hardship, while the injured struggle with permanent disabilities."

"Even after all these years, we have not seen any exemplary punishment for the culprits. During the 2024 mass uprising, many people—including workers—lost their lives," said Taslima Akhter, president of Garments Sramik Samhati.

She demanded compensation equivalent to a lifetime's income for the victims' families, along with rehabilitation and compensation for the injured workers.