13 years of Rana Plaza tragedy: Workers want justice, pay tribute

Garment workers in Savar paid tributes to the victims of the Rana Plaza tragedy on 13th anniversary on Friday.

On the 13th anniversary of the Rana Plaza collapse, relatives of victims, injured workers and leaders of various local and international labour organisations on Friday paid tribute by laying flowers at the makeshift memorial at the site in Savar.

The commemoration began in the morning at the Rana Plaza site near Savar bus stand, where the victims were remembered with floral tributes, a minute of silence and prayers for the eternal peace of the deceased souls. Industrial Police also paid formal homage on the occasion.

Following the tribute, a protest procession was brought out under the banner of Bangladesh Trinamul Garments Sramik Karmachari Federation, a unit of Bangladesh Nationalist Sramik Dal. The procession paraded through different streets of Savar.

Speakers at the rally said that even after 13 years, justice for those involved in the Rana Plaza collapse has not been fully ensured, which remains a deep disappointment 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 demanded the death penalty for building owner Sohel Rana and maximum punishment for all those involved in the incident.

They also raised a series of demands, including confiscation of Rana Plaza land and assets for the rehabilitation of affected workers and families, proper medical treatment for the injured, lifetime compensation for loss of income, declaration of April 24 as National Mourning Day, and construction of a permanent memorial at the site. They further called for ensuring workplace safety in all factories across the country.

Speakers said the day remains a painful reminder for the families of the victims and injured workers, adding that long-standing demands must be implemented without delay.

Leaders and activists 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.

It may be mentioned that on April 24, 2013, the eight-storey Rana Plaza building in Savar collapsed, killing 1,138 garment workers and injuring several thousand others in one of the worst industrial disasters in the country’s history. The tragic incident continues to raise major questions over workers’ rights and workplace safety. - UNB