Factory Owner Barred From Leaving Bangladesh

The High Court in Bangladesh’s capital asked authorities Sunday to prevent the owner of a garment factory where 112 people died in a fire last year from leaving the country, a lawyer said.

The High Court made the request in response to a petition seeking the arrest of Delwar Hossain, the owner of Tazreen Fashions Ltd. It also asked authorities to bring Hossain before the court on May 30.

No criminal charges have been brought against Hossain, although a government inquiry into the fire accused him of negligence.

Lawyer Jyotirmoy Barua said the petition was presented by three anthropologists who believe the large death toll in the Nov. 24 fire resulted from Hossain’s negligence.

At least 1,800 people have died in fires or building collapses in Bangladesh’s garment industry since 2005. The collapse of a factory building on April 24 killed 1,227 people in the worst tragedy in the history of the global garment industry