Owners, Managers Charged in Bangladesh Factory Fire

The factory fire at Tazreen Fashions Ltd. (a Walmart clothing supplier) that killed over 100 people last year was Bangladesh’s worst garment factory fire ever. It led to increased scrutiny over the sourcing practices of some huge cheap clothes purveyors such as Walmart and H&M, and now, thanks to a long police investigation, thirteen people, including the factory’s two owners, have been criminally charged over the dangerous conditions that led to the fire.

According to the BBC, Delwar Hossain and his wife, owners of the Tazreen factory, have been charged with death due to negligence along with 11 of the factory’s security guards and managers (Hossein has denied allegations of negligence). The fire led to a lot of justifiable outrage in Bangladesh and beyond, which in turn prompted some international retailers like Zara and H&M to sign (or not sign) pledges to ensure the safety of garment factory workers.