'Living in constant pain': 13 years on, Rana Plaza victims still seek justice
The sewing machines were running, but something felt off.
Bulbuli's hands slowed. The numbers didn't add up. Where she would usually complete up to 250 pieces an hour, that morning she struggled to reach even 50. Then the power went out.
"There was a delay in starting the generator," she recalled. "Just before 9am, it had only just been switched on when we heard a loud cracking sound. Suddenly, everything went dark."
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Moments later, the building collapsed.
Thirteen years after the Rana Plaza collapse, survivors like Bulbuli are still living with its consequences – physical pain, trauma, and an enduring struggle for justice.
On 24 April 2013, more than 1,100 garment workers were killed and over 1,500 injured when the nine-storey commercial building in Savar crumbled, marking one of the deadliest industrial disasters in history.
More than a decade on, many survivors say their lives never truly recovered.
Bulbuli, now 38, had moved from Bogura to Savar at the age of 20 in search of a better future. That future was buried under concrete that day.
She now suffers from multiple injuries, including fractures in her spine and arm, and is unable to work. She depends on her husband's modest income as a van driver.
Thirteen years have passed. I received only Tk95,000 in two instalments.
"Thirteen years have passed. I received only Tk95,000 in two instalments. That was all," she said. "I live in constant pain. Those responsible have not been punished."
Her story is echoed by many.
Nilufa Begum, another survivor, faces an even harsher reality. After undergoing 11 surgeries on her right leg, she still requires further treatment costing up to Tk8 lakh, far beyond her means.
And with no family support, she now works intermittently at a small roadside eatery, earning around Tk200 a day when she can.
"I can only work 10 to 12 days a month," she said. "This is how I survive."
Each year on this day, survivors, families, and labour rights groups gather at the site, not only to remember, but to demand what they say remains unfulfilled – justice, compensation, and rehabilitation.
And for families of the missing, the grief remains unresolved.
Ferdousi Begum stood at the site holding a photograph of her son, Nahidul Islam, who never returned home after entering the factory that day. His body was never recovered.
"Sometimes I come here and feel like he is still around," she said quietly.
Nahid left behind a wife and a child. The family is now somehow surviving on his wife's income.
Nearby, Rasheda Begum clutched the image of her 14-year-old daughter, Rina Akter, who had joined the garment sector to support her family.
"My child went to work so young for us. We sent her to her death," she said. "Those responsible still walk free."
Khayrul Mamun Mintoo, general secretary of the Bangladesh Garment and Sweater Workers Trade Union Centre, told The Business Standard that although the demands have changed somewhat over time, fundamentally the same demands are being raised every year at this gathering.
He said that none of the long-standing demands – justice, compensation, and rehabilitation for the affected families – have yet been implemented, which is extremely unfortunate.
The garment workers are the backbone of the country's economy, yet justice for those who lost their lives has still not been delivered, he said, adding, "Many injured workers are still suffering, and some have died without seeing justice," he said.
Mintoo added, "The only reason there has been no justice in the past 13 years is that those responsible for the Rana Plaza incident, including its owner, are all linked to the Awami League. Since they were in power, they were not brought to justice."
He said the interim government had initially raised hopes but ultimately failed to take meaningful action. He also alleged that the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) had ignored the interests of workers, shifting all responsibility onto Rana while protecting the owners of the five garment factories operating inside the building.
At the same time, Mintoo urged the new government to ensure swift justice and punishment for those responsible, and to reassess the needs of the affected families and injured workers so that appropriate compensation, rehabilitation, and proper medical treatment can be provided based on their current conditions.
From as early as 7am today, relatives of the workers killed in the Rana Plaza collapse, survivors, and representatives of various labour and social rights organisations began gathering in front of the site to mark the 13th anniversary of the tragedy.
Several groups organised brief rallies and discussion sessions, which were also attended by local political figures as guests.
At the same time, representatives from different organisations, including Industrial Police and a women's delegation from the German trade union Ver.di, along with labour rights activists, paid tribute by laying flowers at a temporary memorial erected in memory of the victims.
Labour rights organisations also presented a seven-point demand to the government. The demands include the reassessment of compensation and rehabilitation for workers injured and killed in the Rana Plaza collapse, as well as the Tazreen Fashions fire in Ashulia's Nischintapur area, along with the formation of a special medical team to ensure proper treatment for the injured.
They also called for the inclusion of all workers in export-oriented garment factories under the Employment Injury Scheme (EIS), a joint initiative of the Bangladesh government, the International Labour Organization (ILO), and the governments of the Netherlands and Germany, which has been in effect since 21 June 2022.
Under this scheme, workers from factories including New Wave Bottoms Ltd, New Wave Style Ltd, Phantom Apparels Ltd, Phantom Tex Ltd, Ether Tex Ltd in Savar's Rana Plaza, as well as Tazreen Fashions Ltd of the Toba Group in Ashulia, should be included, they said.
In addition, the organisations demanded the formation of a special tribunal to ensure swift justice and punishment for those responsible for the killings.
They also called for disclosure of detailed records on funds received and disbursed by the government, BGMEA, NGOs, Enam Medical College Hospital, Centre for the Rehabilitation of the Paralysed (CRP), and other organisations in the name of supporting Rana Plaza and Tazreen victims.
Other demands include confiscation of assets belonging to Rana Plaza's owner and factory owners inside the building, with those assets to be used for the welfare of affected workers; the construction of permanent memorials in front of the Rana Plaza site and at Jurain graveyard; and the declaration of 24 April as a "Workers' Killing Day" along with a public holiday for the garment industry.
They further demanded accountability from international brands that sourced products from these factories, ensuring their ethical and legal responsibility.
