Pending hearing – Access to Justice

Under the “Beggar Rehabilitation and Alternative Employment Programme” the Government engaged ten NGOs to participate in registering persons as beggars, and classifying them into different categories. These would classify people as beggars who are seasonal/irregular, occupational, women, children, aged 1-12, aged 12-50, elderly, and aged 50.

The factory building of Spectrum Sweater Industries Ltd., a nine storied building at Palashbari, Savar, collapsed leaving 69 workers dead and 89 injured. Four injured workers and nine human rights organisations, including BLAST, working collaboratively as the Sramik Nirapatta Forum filed the writ petition impugning the failure of the concerned authorities to discharge their statutory duties and responsibilities relating to building construction, labour safety and welfare.

A four-storied building situated at the BSCIC Industrial Area in Chittagong and used as the factory of KTS Textile and Garments caught fire and 57 workers died. At the time of the fire, the main gate was closed as per the direction of the management and there was no emergency exit. Many of the workers, finding no route of escape, simply burned to death and their bodies were found in the staircase, on the floor and on the window grilles.

The Vested Property Act 1974 was a highly controversial law that effectively allowed the Government to appropriate property from individuals it deemed to be an enemy of the state. The abuse of laws by the government and its agencies to deprive religious minorities of their land continued post independence.