The High Court has directed the government to stop operations of all unauthorised boilers in the garments manufacturing factories and other industries across the country in 60 days.

It also ordered the authorities concerned of the government to carry out inspection of all the RMG factories and other factories or industries using boilers so as to ensure their registration and renewal are in accordance with the Boiler Act, 1923.

In response to a writ petition, the HC asked the authorities concerned to submit a report after complying with the directive before it by September 30.

The HC also issued a rule asking the authorities to explain in three weeks why their failure to ensure effective enforcement of applicable laws on workplace safety, which resulted in death and injuries of workers from boiler blasts in RMG factories and other factories or industries, should not be declared illegal.

The bench of Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury and Justice Md Iqbal Kabir came up with the order and rule on July 10 following a writ petition filed as a public interest litigation seeking the HC’s directive on the authorities concerned to give compensation to the families of the workers of Gazipur's Multifabs Ltd garments, who were killed and injured in a boiler blast.

The HC order was released today.

Thirteen workers were killed and more than 50 others were injured in the explosion at the apparel factory in Kashimpur area on July 4.               

Justice Watch Foundation submitted the petition on July 9 praying to the HC to direct the authorities to take necessary steps for providing treatment to the injured workers and to bring the people including the owners, who are responsible for the incident, to book.

The foundation's Executive Director Advocate Mahfuzur Rahman filed the petition on behalf of the organisation requesting the HC to order the authorities to shut the boilers of factories immediately after those expire.