Life-term for owners sought

This April 24 photo shows locals gathering near the collapsed Rana Plaza. Total 2,438 survivors were rescued and 1,127 bodies pulled out from the wreckage.

Use of substandard materials and violation of building code resulted in the catastrophic collapse of nine-storey Rana Plaza in Savar, killing at least 1,127 people and hurting thousands more, according to a home ministry investigation.
A five-member body tasked with probing the April 24 collapse came up with a conclusion that vibrations from the heavy machineries on the top floor garment factories damaged the compaction of Rana Plaza.

The probe report recommended life imprisonment to the owners of the building and garments factories in maximum punishment for forcing the workers to enter the vulnerable complex.
The home ministry committee led by Additional Secretary Main Uddin Khandaker submitted a 400-page report to the ministry Wednesday afternoon.
The probe report contains 12 recommendations, including three for immediate implementation.
It recommended that the government takes responsibility of the families of the victims especially the children and elderly parents who were dependent on the dead or injured workers.
In doing it, the government can take help from BGMEA and BKMEA. The money to be earned from selling the Rana Plaza land can also be used for this purpose, the probe committee suggested.
The other immediate recommendation is rehabilitation of the physically disabled victims by implanting artificial limbs and providing them advanced treatment abroad.
The probe committee was formed on April 25, a day after the deadly catastrophe, to find why the building collapsed, role of the authorities and extent of the casualties.