Please find below reports on the Nov. 25th firewhich resulted in the death of 45 people at a Bangladesh garmentfactory. We are trying to get more details on what happened, andwhich companies this factory was producing for. We will keep youinformed of any new information.

from the National Garment Workers Federation:

Yesterday 25th November 45 garments workers killed in a garmentfactory fire. I am sending the news from our English Daily Newspaper" THE BANGLADESH OBSERVER"

45 killed In Narsingdi Garment Factory Fire

Narsingdi, Nov 25: Atleast 45 workers including 10 children wereburnt to death in a devastating fire at Sagar Chowdury Garment Factoryin the Kamanchar BSCIC Industrial Area on Dhaka-Sylhet highway todayat 7.45 p.m. The fire sparked from electrical short circuit. UNB( United News Agency of Bangladesh ) adds: The fire soon engulfedthe entire building where over 900 workers were on duty. "As all the collapsible gates of the building were locked. No onecould come out immediately." says a spot report,adding thatthe death figure may increase alarmingly. Local people along withthe firefighters of narsingdi broke open the gates of the buildingand rescued the rest of the workers and 40 dead bodies. Of the dead,29bodies were brought to narsingdi sadar hospital. the raging fire,however, came under control at about 9.30 p.m. The rescue operationwas controling when the report came at 10.10 p.m.
THE BANGLADESH OBSERVER Dhaka Sunday November 26,2000 ( 1st page)

P.s.
1. National Garments Workers Federation with 9 other garments workersorganisations named in the Banner of "Bangladesh Garments WorkersUnity Council" have already protested the killing.
2.National Garments Workers Federation will organise CONDOLENCEAND PROTEST DEMONSTRATION tomorrow 27 th November at 5 p.m.

*** Pls send your condolence message to the victimised families,co workers and NGWF.

In solidarity

Amirul Haque Amin 26th November,2000 National Garments WorkersFederation e-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

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[The Wall Street Journal Interactive Edition] November 27, 2000

World-Wide

Fire in Bangladesh Garment Plant Kills at Least 45, InjuresOver 100

Associated Press

DHAKA, Bangladesh -- A fire in a garment factory in Bangladeshleft at least 45 people dead, most of them killed in the crush aspanicked workers tried to flee the four-story building in an industrialtown near the capital, police and doctors said Sunday. Most of thedead were women and children.

More than 100 others were hospitalized with injuries after thefire and stampede Saturday night at Chowdhury Knitwear Garmentsfactory in Shibpur, 40 kilometers east of Dhaka. Some of the injuredwere in critical condition, and the death toll could rise, a policeofficial supervising the rescue work said.

At least 900 workers, many of them women, were at the factorywhen a fire broke out on the its fourth floor, where towels andknitwear are ironed. Workers scrambled to flee the factory alongnarrow stairwells and many of them fell on each other, officialssaid.

Nearly all the victims died in the stampede, and many of the injuredhad jumped out windows trying to escape, Sitish Ranjan, the area'schief government administrator, said in a telephone interview. Hesaid a probe had been ordered.

Witnesses told newspapers workers were trapped because the onlyexit door on the ground floor was locked for security reasons andhad to be broken open by firefighters. The factory owner, SagarChowdhury, disputed those accounts.

He said the fire was caused by a short circuit on the fourth floor.

Bangladesh has nearly 2,000 garment factories that employ at least1.5 million workers, most of them young women. Children also workin the factories.

Garment exports, mainly to the U.S. and Europe, account for nearly70% of Bangladesh's total annual export revenue of $5 billion.