Bangladesh arrests factory owner over fire

On December 31, a court in the capital Dhaka of Bangladesh issued arrest warrants for the owners of the textile factory where a fatal fire in 2012 killed 111 people.

The court ordered the factory's co-chairmen, Delwar Hossain and his wife, Mahmuda Akter, and four others to be arrested over the fire at the Tazreen factory, which produces clothes for Western brands, including the US company Walmart.

The scene of the fire at the Tazreen factory. (Source: AFP/VNA)

Prosecutor Anwarul Kabir said senior judge Wasim Sheikh issued the arrest warrants after determining that all six had "abandoned" their court appearances earlier this month.

According to Mr. Kabir, a total of 13 people were accused in the tragedy, including the owners, factory managers and security personnel.

They are charged with arson, manslaughter, and criminal negligence causing death. If convicted, they could face life in prison.

This is the first time in Bangladesh that a factory owner has been charged in connection with a factory fire.

The 2012 fire was the deadliest in a textile factory history and raised concerns about safety in the garment industry, a key sector of Bangladesh’s economy, accounting for 80 percent of the country’s exports.

Also in 2012, a major tragedy occurred in Bangladesh in April, when the Rana Plaza textile factory on the outskirts of Dhaka collapsed, killing 1,135 people.

This is one of the world's most serious industrial accidents./.

According to VNA