DHAKA: A total of 73.7 percent workers injured in the tragic Rana Plaza building collapse could not be able to return to the workplace even after a year passed since the tragedy occurred, says a study.

ActionAid conducted the study, which was revealed at a programme at BRAC Center Inn in Mohakhali area of the city on Sunday morning.

The study says some 1,436 workers could not manage to return to their jobs. Of them, 63.74 percent workers suffer physical illness, 23.76 percent suffers bone marrow related problems and 7.54 percent workers are not getting jobs due to the factory owners’ unwillingness.

Getting no compensations, many injured workers are not getting the proper treatment and their families are likely to sit on the street losing everything, the study warned.

Workers’ leader lawmaker Shirin Akter said, “We should have taken lessons from the Spectrum collapse, if we did so, we would not face the big tragedy like Rana Plaza collapse.”

She added: “We have to help the victims those are alive or the families of those lost lives in the tragedy; government, owners’ association and the buyers will have to move forward so that they (victims) do not feel helpless.”

Speaking at the function, Sultan Uddin Ahmed, assistant director of Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies, said, “The main problem of Rana Plaza tragedy lied on in coordination, which exists these days too.”

He also said, “But, everyone had worked well at their positions, otherwise, to face such a big disaster wouldn’t be possible; and responsibility of treatment to the injured will not be taken for a day rather for the whole life.”

Center for Policy Dialogue additional director (research) Dr Golam Moazzem said, “The relatives of the deceased will have to be included in the government’ compensation list; some will get help and some won’t that should not be happened, because government will have to hold accountability to those who did not get help.”

Irish clothing retailer Primark gave compensation to 580 Rana Plaza building collapse victims and rests of the victim workers and their families will be given some Tk 50,000 as assistance from the Rana Plaza Arrangement Coordination Committee, said Dr Mujtaba Kazi, executive director of the committee.

ILO Country Director Srinivasa Reddy, ActionAid country director Farah Kabir and Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) first vice-president Mohamamd Hatem were among present at the function.

On April 24, 2013, the eight-storey Rana Plaza building collapsed to ground at Savar Dhaka, that killed 1,134 garment factory workers and injured 2,248 others.

BDST: 1820 HRS APR 20, 2014