Rana Plaza was an eight-story commercial block located just outside Dhaka, Bangladesh, containing five clothing factories amongst other shops. On 24th April, 2013 the building collapsed due to a structural failure, killing 1,134 people and leaving many more with life-long debilitating injuries. The majority of the casualties were low-paid garment workers, who made clothes for global high street brands. Despite the fact that alarming cracks in the building were discovered the day before and the building was temporarily closed as a result of expert advice to discontinue its use, the workers were instructed to return the next morning to meet the deadlines on their orders. Subsequent inquiries have found that Rana Plaza was built on unsuitable ground, it was designed for commercial but not industrial use, and the upper floors were built without a permit. The Rana Plaza collapse is the deadliest known tragedy of its kind. It tragically highlighted the health and safety hazards linked to modern slavery and the day to day isues faced by low-paid garment workers. Rana Plaza is widely referred to as a wake-up call for the fashion industry and it has become a starting point for many major initiatives including the global campaign Fashion Revolution. Rana Plaza’s catastrophic collapse mobilized local authorities and brands, with significant pressure from NGOs such as IndustriALL Global Union and the Clean Clothes Campaign to implement new policies and control schemes. While the disaster brought many ethical trade issues to light, the continuity of the improvement efforts is at risk as many worker organizations and unions in Bangladesh have since reported a backslide in both labour rights and health and safety compliance.(1-5)
RANA PLAZA
