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(CNN) -- Bangladesh's prime minister acknowledged

Thursday that her nation's garment industry is beset

with problems, but said her government is moving

rapidly to fix them.

"Bangladesh now is a place for good conditions for the

investment," Sheikh Hasina told CNN's Christiane

Amanpour eight days after a nine-story building

collapsed on the outskirts of Dhaka, killing at least 437

people, most of them garment workers. She said 2,437

survivors were pulled from the rubble, where recovery

work was continuing.

"Yes, there are some problems," she said, but added

that a committee has been formed to ensure the safety

of buildings and workers.

"This committee will submit the findings to the Cabinet

committee and, side by side, we have been trying our

best to improve the situation."



Asked about reports that only 18 inspectors are

responsible for overseeing safety conditions in more

than 100,000 garment factories in and around the

capital city, Hasina said, "We don't depend on only ...

those inspectors."

Steps to improve conditions were taken before the

collapse of the building in Rana Plaza in Savar, she said,

citing passage by the Cabinet of a labor law that will be

sent to Parliament.

Hasina noted that workplace disasters have occurred in

the United States, too; she cited last month's explosion

of a fertilizer plant in West, Texas, in which 14 people

died.

"Anywhere in the world, any accident can take place,"

she said. "You cannot predict anything."

Amanpour, CNN's chief international correspondent,

pointed out that local officials predicted that the

building could collapse after cracks appeared on its

walls on April 23, and they urged workers not to re-

enter it.

"You are very correct," Hasina said. "Unfortunately, in

the morning, the owners of the factories put pressure to

labor to enter."

She praised government officials for trying to prevent

the workers at the five garment factories in the building

from re-entering it on April 24, the morning of the

collapse. "It is not true that the government hasn't

taken any steps," she said.

She blamed the owners of the five factories as well as

Sohel Rana, the building's owner, and disputed the

suggestion that their political connections could protect

them.

Rana is under police investigation in relation to the

deaths and has had his assets seized. Protesters have

called for him to be hanged.

"The law will take its own course," she said. "Criminal is

criminal. They will get all the necessary action; that we

can assure you. It is our promise to the people."

Hasina added, "Any business person, if they commit any

kind of crime, our government always takes action."

She pointed to the companies that source their

products from such factories, saying they should pay

well enough that factory owners can pay good salaries

and ensure the business is safely run. "They're partly

responsible for it," she said.

And she urged that the disaster be considered in

context. "You cannot blame the whole business or

whole industry just for one incident," she said.

Hasina said officials in her government "are in favor of

labor," having increased the minimum wage by 82%,

built dormitories and seen to the health care needs of

workers.

She denied that the killing last year of a labor leader

signified that her government is hostile toward unions.

Aminul Islam's body, bearing signs of torture, was

found four days after he disappeared in April 2012.

"Nobody knew that he was a labor leader," she said. It

was only after his body was found, she said, "that we

came to know that he was a labor leader and he was

assassinated."

More than a year later, she said, the case remains under

investigation.

The interview was carried out via satellite by Amanpour

in New York and the prime minister in Dhaka. CNN has

been unable to gain visas from the Bangladeshi

government that would allow the network to send

reporters to cover the country first-hand.

That assertion was corroborated by a CNN executive,

but the prime minister disputed it. "It is not true,"

Hasina said. "We never stop any media to come to

Bangladesh."

Asked about restrictions on coverage imposed by the

visa office, she said, "Every country has these rules and

regulations."

Thursday's interview came as activity resumed at

thousands of Bangladeshi textile factories.

Millions of workers in and around the Bangladeshi

capital, Dhaka, returned to duty after the trade group

that represents the garment industry decided it was safe

to do so.

This week, a delegation of the International Labour

Organization arrived in Dhaka on a four-day visit to

Bangladesh.

"Horror and regret must translate into urgent firm

action," said Guy Ryder, the organization's director-

general. "Action now can prevent further tragedy.

Inaction would mean that the next tragedy is simply a

matter of time."

The incident has provoked widespread protests,

including attacks on some textile facilities the

demonstrators said are unsafe.

The garment industry accounts for 77% of Bangladesh's

exports -- a $20 billion industry for the nation.

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