13 years on: Rana Plaza victims still demand justice
On the 13th anniversary of the Rana Plaza collapse, relatives of victims, injured workers, and leaders of local and international labour organisations on Friday paid tribute by laying flowers at a makeshift memorial at the site in Savar.
The commemoration began in the morning near Savar bus stand, where those who lost their lives were remembered through floral tributes, a minute’s silence, and prayers for the eternal peace of the deceased. Officials from the Industrial Police also paid formal respects.
Following the tribute, a protest procession was organised under the banner of the Bangladesh Trinamul Garments Sramik Karmachari Federation, a unit of the Bangladesh Nationalist Sramik Dal. The procession moved through several streets in Savar.
At the rally, speakers said that even 13 years on, justice for those responsible for the Rana Plaza collapse has not been fully delivered, which they described as a continued source of distress for the families of the deceased and injured workers.
From the programme, held under the leadership of Savar thana committee president Md Shafiqul Islam Bepari, they renewed demands for the death penalty for building owner Sohel Rana and the maximum punishment for all those involved.
They also put forward a range of demands, including the confiscation of Rana Plaza land and assets for the rehabilitation of affected workers and families, lifelong compensation for loss of income, proper medical treatment for injured survivors, the declaration of 24 April as a National Mourning Day, and the construction of a permanent memorial at the site.
They further called for stronger enforcement of workplace safety standards across all factories in Bangladesh.
Speakers described the anniversary as a painful reminder for victims’ families and survivors, stressing that long-standing demands must be addressed without further delay.
Representatives from several labour organisations, including Garment Sramik Trade Union Kendra, Garments Sramik Odhikar Andolon, Bangladesh Textile-Garments Sramik Federation, Jatiya Mukti Council, Garments Sramik Jote Bangladesh, National Workers Unity Centre, and Grameen Bangla Garments Workers Federation, among others, were present at the programme.
The Rana Plaza collapse occurred on 24 April 2013, when an eight-storey commercial building in Savar collapsed, killing 1,138 garment workers and injuring several thousand others.
It remains one of the deadliest industrial disasters in Bangladesh’s history and continues to raise serious concerns over workers’ rights and workplace safety standards.
