Rana Plaza: a tragedy remembered

Six years ago, on 24th April 2013, 1,138 garment workers in Bangladesh
lost their lives, ultimately because of an industry that placed deadlines
and profits before human lives. Rana Plaza, the building that housed five
garment factories among other establishments, had not evacuated those who
toiled for the least: garment workers barely making minimum wage who were
forced to go back and work in a building that showed visible structural
defects for days until it finally collapsed, burying more than 1,100
garment workers and injuring more than 2,500.

So apparent was the apathy that led to the disaster, so obvious the
non-acceptance of any involvement of international buyers that the world,
finally, took notice. Rana Plaza became synonymous with everything that was
wrong with the garment industry: greed, starvation wages, outsourcing
(production and problems) and ever faster fashion cycles that were
literally killing everyone.

Since that fateful day in April 2013, the fashion industry has not been
the same: Initiatives like the Bangladesh Accord and Alliance and local
efforts have sprung up to inspect factories and make them safer; workers
the world over have taken to the streets for fair wages, fair treatment and
the right to unionise. International buyers are taking responsibility,
strengthening ties with their suppliers instead of abandoning them, and
those responsible for the disaster have been taken to task and victims and
their families received some compensation. FashionUnited has put together
timelines that show how Rana Plaza has changed one thing: That Bangladesh
is no longer a dark, far away place just good enough for sourcing cheap
garments but an opportunity to improve the lives for those who make our
clothes.

Rana Plaza – the timelines:

Situation of workers and compensation offered:

Action taken against those involved in the disaster:

There is a slight consolation in the fact that some good has resulted
from the Rana Plaza incident as it has set the ball rolling for initiating
the much needed change in the way brands deal with the offshore supply
chains and manufacturers. It has also changed the dynamics of the
relationship between brands, consumers and the up until now invisible
garment factory workers. There is accountability and responsibility pinned
onto the big players and finally a connect established between all parties
involved in the fashion industry.