A short time earlier, Dhaka police chief Asaduzzaman Mia told reporters about the efforts to find others who were in the five-story building.
“The rescuers were still searching for bodies in the debris,” Mia said.
Such factories — making products for a number of Western retailers — play a big part in Bangladesh’s economy, with ready-made garments alone making up 80% of the country’s $24 billion in annual exports. The factory that burned Saturday was used to make plastic goods.
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That blaze spurred widespread criticism about the state of workers rights in Bangladesh. The government responded by revampling laws so that workers no longer need approval from employers to form trade unions, and every factory that sells within the country also has to pledge 5% of their profits toward a workers’ welfare fund. The government also boosted minimum wages from $38 to around $68 per month.
Journalist Farid Ahmed reported from Bangladesh, and CNN’s Greg Botelho wrote this story from Atlanta.
