Bangladesh police say at least 22 people have been killed in a fire at a garment factory near capital, Dhaka. They said dozens more were injured in the fire that broke out at Shaan Knitting and Processing Limited at Siddirganj suburb on Thursday night. All the bodies were recovered early Friday after fire-fighters struggled for hours to put out the blaze. Lax safety standards and poor wiring cause several fatal factory fires every year in Bangladesh. **Thick smoke*** A police officer at the Siddirganj police station said that the bodies were charred beyond recognition. Witnesses said thick smoke from the four-storey factory building still hung over the area on Friday. Police could not confirm the cause of the fire. But workers there believe it was caused by an electrical short-circuit. Fire officials said they were investigating the cause of the fire, which destroyed the building. The workers said the fire spread very quickly making it impossible for many to escape. Officials said the factory has 700 employees. Bangladesh earns more than 5 billion US dollar a year from garment exports. The sector employs about two million workers, most are women. **PHOTO CAPTION*** Bangladeshi firemen clean a burned out garment factory near Dhaka, Bangladesh, January 7, 2005. (REUTERS)