Oporajeo jute bag factory caught fire

Fire gutted jute bag manufacturing factory Oporajeo, which was founded in 2013 in Savar with the injured workers of Rana Plaza.

The fire broke out around 9:45pm, Chief Executive Worker of the unique-styled factory Kazi Monir Hossain Rintu said. He, however, could not confirm immediately how the fire had originated.

There were no worker inside the factory, located on the ground floor of a building in Anandapur of Thana Bus Stand area, at the time of fire, he added.

Fire fighters brought the blaze under control around 10:45pm. They confirmed that the fire had not originated from an electric short-circuit.

After the fire was put out, fire fighters found the back door of the factory broken. Monir suspect that it might a sabotage by miscreants.

Around 15,000 pieces of finished jute bags, made for a Switzerland buyer, raw materials and most of the machines were damaged in the fire, Monir said adding that tehy also found the generator's fuel tank empty.

Oporajeo (undefeated) having 33 workers used to manufacture different jute bags for local and international clients with 48 different types of machines. Of the workers, 31 are the survivors of the Rana Plaza building collapse.

The factory was founded under Songkolon Bangladesh Trust on June 24, 2013 with six plain sewing machines and seven workers. Here the workers, mostly women, were labelled as owners. They were given congenial working environment, profit share, free lunch, medical assistance and educational support for their children.

A portion of profit from the factory was given to a primary school established under the same trust.