31 December 2016, Sat, 10:20

1240 killed in various workplace incidents in 2016

A total of 1,240 workers were killed and 544 others injured in various incidents in their workplaces in the country’s different sectors throughout 2016.

Bangladesh Occupational Safety, Health and Environment (OSHE) Foundation came up with the statistics at a press conference at Dhaka Reporters Unity on Friday. The death victims in workplaces rose by 289 in 2016 as 951 people were killed in workplaces in 2015, said OSHE Foundation Chairperson Saki Rezwana while placing a report on casualties in workplaces.

She said the report was prepared based on news ran by 15 newspapers and information gathered from spots by staff of the foundation. According to the reports, 359 workers were killed in formal sector, while 881 others in informal sector in the outgoing year.

The highest 486 workers were killed in transport sector, 147 in construction sector and 88 in apparel sector. Besides, 87 death victims are farm workers, including those killed in lightening strikes, while 69 day-labourers, 34 domestic workers, 44 fishermen and 23 ship-breaking workers.

Forty-seven workers were also killed in Tampco factory fire and three others still remain missing. More than 200 workers were also killed in other sectors.

OSHE Foundation Vice Chairperson Dr SM Morshedi, Assistant Director Alam Hossain, Programme officer Arifa Alam and Communication officer Abdur Rashid were present.