May 2023
More than a week after 16 workers were hospitalized with severe burns following a garment factory explosion in the central Bangladeshi city of Gazipur, answers are still scarce.
Nazma Akter, founder and executive director of Awaj Foundation, a garment worker advocacy group based in Dhaka, said that it was deeply ironic that the accident happened on May Day, which is also known as International Workers’ Day.
My heart is heavy and saddened that on a day like May Day, 16 workers were burnt and severely injured. The international brands—those who are producing in the factory—must be held responsible. No worker should lose their life due to a lack of occupational health and safety.