Factory fire: When will owners, regulators be held accountable?
The chances of holding those truly responsible accountable remain slim – a trend Bangladesh has seen in industrial accidents over the past two to three decades
Highlights:
- At least 16 killed in Dhaka factory and warehouse fire
- Authorities and owners evade responsibility; investigations yield little accountability
- Factories operated illegally without Rajuk or DIFE approval
- Past tragedies like Rana Plaza, Hashem Foods saw no justice
- Systemic corruption and weak oversight enable repeated industrial disasters
- Relocation of hazardous chemical warehouses remains stalled and ineffective
Following Tuesday's fire at a garment factory and chemical warehouse in Dhaka's Mirpur, which has killed at least 16 and may claim more lives, a familiar pattern is unfolding – officials and owners scrambling to evade responsibility while investigation committees are quickly formed.
Perhaps some money will be given for the victims' burial costs, followed by a token compensation. Yet the chances of holding those truly responsible accountable remain slim – a trend Bangladesh has seen in industrial accidents over the past two to three decades.
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Officials from the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments (DIFE) said on Wednesday that they lack manpower to oversee the millions of factories across the country.
Atiqur Rahman, deputy inspector general (DIG) of DIFE, Dhaka region, told TBS, "The chemical warehouse in question had no approval and did not hold a trade licence."
However, the NR Fashion garment factory in the adjacent building, affected by the massive fire, had DIFE approval. Questions have arisen, though, about whether that garment factory and the other washing plant in the same building were fully compliant. No answers could be found.
Kalpana Akter, executive director of Bangladesh Centre for Workers Solidarity, believes there must have been compliance gaps in the factory; otherwise, such a large-scale loss of life would not have occurred.
An owner of an export-oriented green garment factory in Bangladesh, speaking to TBS on condition of anonymity, said, "Was the DIFE inspector for that area arrested? Until DIFE stops taking bribes and functions as an effective department, such loss of life will continue."
Following the fire incident, it was revealed that the two buildings affected by the fire did not have approvals from the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk). Business operations were going on in the buildings openly, yet Rajuk officials were unaware.
It is not just DIFE; to set up a factory or chemical warehouse, approvals are also required from the Fire Service Authority, Boiler Authority, Explosives Department, and several other institutions. Now, no one wants to take responsibility.
When contacted, Omar Md Imrul Mohsin, inspector general of DIFE, told TBS, "In such accidents, no one is directly responsible!"
Asked about the inspection responsibilities of his department, he said, "Generally, we conduct inspections for those who come to us for registration."
He added, "We might be partly accountable. But in this case, approvals are required from several other authorities as well. Yet whenever something happens, DIFE is usually blamed."
Saleh Ahmed Jakaria, director (Zone-3) of the Rajuk, told TBS, "Neither the chemical warehouse nor the garment factory at the incident site had Rajuk approval. Although the plots fall under the Industrial Area, with commercial approval from the Department of Housing and Public Works, these two buildings were constructed illegally."
Asked why no action was taken earlier against illegally built structures in Rajuk's jurisdiction, he said, "It is impossible for us to monitor every location. We take action when illegal buildings come to our attention during drives. But Rajuk alone cannot control all such constructions."
Recurring tragedies, no remedy
In July 2021, a fire at Hashem Foods Limited in Narayanganj killed 54 workers. The death toll was so high due to locked exit doors. Following the incident, the factory owner was granted bail as usual, and in 2023, the owner and his two sons were removed from the charge sheet.
Despite this, a Citizens' Investigation Committee comprising 19 prominent members was formed to probe the fire. After a month-long investigation, the committee described the incident as a "systematic murder."
No one has been held accountable for the tragedy to date.
Even 12 years after the Rana Plaza collapse in 2013, which claimed over 1,100 lives, no one has faced justice. Only the building owner, Rana, remains in prison. DIFE officials who approved the building, along with other government officials, have not been prosecuted.
Labour law expert Advocate Jafrul Hasan Sharif revealed some striking details to TBS: "Belayet Hossain, the DIFE official who approved the building [Rana Plaza], retired following proper procedures, including receiving retirement benefits."
He added, "A former state minister in the previous government facilitated these benefits for him."
Justice remains elusive
Labour leaders say that in Bangladesh, the lack of accountability has allowed such tragedies to repeat.
Until perpetrators, including government officials, are held accountable, these incidents will continue, with the government relying on investigation committees and minimal compensation to deflect responsibility, they add.
"Till now, there are no reports of any factory owner or responsible government official being prosecuted, even though someone is clearly at fault. Does this happen in any civilised country?" said AKM Nasim, a labour law expert and executive director of Solidarity Centre Bangladesh.
Asked why justice for the Rana Plaza collapse has not been delivered even after 12 years, Nasim said, "DIFE has been negligent… and whenever a case reaches the trial list, it is often removed."
These incidents highlight the grim reality of industrial accident accountability in Bangladesh. In the garment sector alone, at least 14 major accidents over the past two decades have claimed over 1,500 lives.
According to the Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies (BILS), 152 fire accidents occurred in workplaces between 2018 and 2025, killing 578 people. While accidents and casualties have gradually decreased in garment factories since Rana Plaza, non-RMG factories continue to experience higher numbers.
Kalpana Akter, executive director of Bangladesh Centre for Workers Solidarity (BCWS), told TBS, "This is clearly systematic killing, and DIFE officials bear significant responsibility."
Adil Mohammed Khan, president of the Bangladesh Institute of Planners (BIP), said, "Industrial owners must be punished for loss of life. At the same time, every official responsible for ensuring workers' safety and a secure work environment must be held accountable. Bringing them under the law is essential."
He added, "Across Dhaka and other urban areas, industrial facilities have been constructed unchecked, creating a cycle of corruption within the government. Identifying and addressing this urgently is critical."
Coordinated factory inspection stalled
After the fire at Hashem Foods in Narayanganj that killed over 50 workers, the government launched a coordinated factory inspection initiative involving all relevant agencies. So far, nearly 10,000 factories and establishments have been inspected, led by the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA).
However, over the past two years, the process has slowed considerably, with each agency blaming the other for the delay.
Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun, executive chairman of BIDA and BEZA, told TBS: "This was primarily the responsibility of DIFE. We have stepped back from this work. It is not BIDA's responsibility, and we lack the necessary manpower to carry it out. This is outside my core focus, and I have already stated that BIDA will not take it on."
He added, "I don't think BIDA took this on voluntarily. At the time [under the previous government], it was assumed BIDA had little work, so the task was assigned to it. But it's absolutely nothing to do with BIDA. DIFE is the proper authority – this is their responsibility."
Relocated in name only: Chemical factories stand idle
To move chemical factories or warehouses out of Dhaka, 54 warehouses were built on nearly six acres in Shyampur, each about 1,500 sq ft. Inaugurated on 4 June 2023, at a cost of hundreds of crores of taka, these warehouses remain largely unused.
Brigadier General (retd) Abu Nayeem Md Shahidullah, former director general of Fire Service and Civil Defence, told TBS: "Discussions about moving chemical warehouses out of Dhaka have been going on for years, but the government has failed to enforce it. Both the government and business owners share responsibility."
He added, "While laws exist for chemical storage and management, they are rarely enforced. To close illegal warehouses, all relevant government agencies must coordinate. Only by bringing violators under the law and imposing appropriate penalties can order be restored."
