Bangladesh defended today its decision to snub foreign aid after the collapse of a garment factory complex where at least 388 people died as the UN revealed it had offered specialist help to find survivors.
With the death toll from the country's worst ever industrial disaster still rising, the government faces criticism and angry protests over its handling of the tragedy and the lack of oversight blamed for the loss of life.
Police at one stage fired teargas to disperse the protests under control on the eve of mass demonstrations which have been organised on May Day, one week on from the tragedy.
"The need for immediate foreign assistance was not felt because our rescue operation has been sufficient and exemplary," Home Secretary Mustak Ahmed told AFP, adding the government was "grateful" for offers from Britain among others.
The UN's humanitarian advisor in Bangladesh Gerson Brandao said he had made emergency disaster teams based in Singapore and Abu Dhabi available within hours of the accident last Wednesday morning.
"These are a group of people who are experts. They have dogs, micro cameras and other equipment that we do not have in Bangladesh," Brandao told AFP.
Sniffer dogs handled by the army were deployed for the first time today at the site as heavy-lifting equipment and cranes moved in to begin clearing the mountain of rubble in Savar, a suburb of Dhaka.
Building owner Sohel Rana and four arrested factory bosses again faced chants of "Hang the Killer!" and "Hang the factory owners!" as they were brought before the Dhaka High Court in bullet-proof vests today.
The court passed an order preventing Rana from transferring any assets and ordered the central bank to freeze the bank accounts of the other four.
"The high court has ordered a ban on transfer of assets and properties of the owner of the building and four factory owners with immediate effect," deputy attorney general Al Amin Sarkar told AFP.
The five face charges of causing death through negligence. Rana, whose father was also arrested, had been remanded in custody for a further 15 days.
Workers also demonstrated in Savar where they took to the streets brandishing sticks. Several vehicles were burned in violent scenes and the police fired tear-gas to control the crowds, local officers told AFP.
Mass protests are expected to take place throughout the country on May Day, with one of the biggest gathering of union activists scheduled to take place near the disaster scene.
