After the fire accident in Bangladesh: child labor is suspected in the factory

At least 52 people were killed in the factory fire in Bangladesh. Among the dead are children who are said to have worked there illegally. Seven people were arrested – including the company owner.

The youngest were apparently only twelve years old. In their papers they stated that they were 18, said a spokesman for the company that makes fruit juices and sodas. The children worked as temporary workers in the food factory near Dhaka because their families were in need because of the corona pandemic.

Children locked up on purpose?

Local residents said that the foreman at the factory deliberately locked the children in “so they wouldn’t misbehave,” reports the Dhaka Tribune newspaper. The Ministry of Labor of Bangladesh announced that it would take action against the company should the suspicion of child labor be confirmed.

The police meanwhile arrested the company owner. Police said he was suspected of murder. In addition, investigations into the suspicion of child labor in the factory in the industrial town of Rupganj have been initiated. There were a total of seven arrests in connection with the fire, the police said.

At least 52 dead and dozen missing

The number of dead is still given as 52, the number of missing persons is now 35. In total, up to 200 people were in the building when the fire broke out.

According to the fire department, the fire was accelerated by the fact that large amounts of oil, butter and plastic were stored on each floor. An investigative commission has now been set up to determine the cause of the fire.