April 24 is a date that should not be and cannot be ever obliterated from our memory. Rana Plaza collapsed on the morning of a hot summer day, on April 24, 2013. At least 1,136 people, mostly garment workers, were killed and over 2,500 others injured in the deadliest garment factory disaster in history as the nine-storey building came crashing down in Savar.

The absence of official commemorations and limited reference of Rana Plaza in national policy documents raise concerns about the commitment to bring about structural changes in our RMG industry.

Bangladesh still lacks strong governing institutions that could effectively monitor safety issues in the RMG industry

If fast fashion must dominate the “national interest,” then at the very least we must compel the state apparatuses to play a truly mediating role on behalf of “the nation.

Lack of progress in the trial process is deeply upsetting

On the morning of April 24, 2013, Babul began his day working as a machine operator on the seventh floor of a garment factory at Rana Plaza in Savar. From his workstation, he could see his wife at her workstation.

When the Rana Plaza building came crashing down on April 24, 2013, Bangladesh’s garment sector received a massive jolt and apprehension kicked in that the sector’s growth might slow down.

Nine years have passed since the collapse of Rana Plaza, and yet majority of the survivors are still reeling from the traumas, both physical and mental, of that fateful day.

Eight years ago, one of the worst industrial disasters in history—the collapse of an eight storey commercial building in a sub-district of Dhaka—demonstrated to the world the heavy price of producing cheap clothing to fuel the “fast fashion” industry for consumers in the global North.

The Rana Plaza collapse, the deadliest garment factory accident in history, carries a moral and political significance.

Over four million people's lives are closely intertwined with the ready-made garments (RMG) industry in Bangladesh—as are the deaths of over a thousand workers of Rana Plaza, which collapsed on this day six years ago. I remember it was a day of scorching sunshine. The Bengali New Year had begun only ten days earlier. This is usually a time of joy and celebration when people take a fresh look at their life and make plans that would change their future. What was it like for those ill-fated workers?

Bangladesh has made impressive strides in making workplace safe in the garment sector in recent years as factory owners strengthened safety as per proposals of international brands and retailers, said union leaders, analysts, the ILO, and entrepreneurs.

Six years have passed, but the trial of the murder case filed over the Rana Plaza collapse is yet to begin due to High Court stay orders.

Nilufar Begum, 35, a survivor of Rana Plaza tragedy, worked on the fifth floor of the building. Her right leg was severely injured in the incident. Six years have passed since the building collapsed, but she is still living in trauma.

Five years after Rana Plaza collapse, the deadliest garment factory accident in history that took over a thousand lives, the collective efforts of the Bangladesh government, entrepreneurs, apparel retailers and brands, workers' rights groups, NGOs and inspection bodies such as the Accord and Alliance, have led to considerable progress in fire, electrical and structural safety in Bangladesh's garment factories. But more needs to be done.

This Garment Sramik Sanghati slogan is a response to Rana Plaza—a death trap for 1,135 workers, and many more injured and disabled. A tragedy caused by a corporate violation of rules, neglect of responsibility in a global chain that starts in the villages of Bangladesh and reaches the world's capitals.

The safety in Bangladesh's factories covered by the Accord has improved dramatically since 2013. Accord till date has covered 1,625

Workplace accident insurance should be introduced for workers in all industrial sectors to ensure security, said speakers at a

April 24 is a date that should not be and cannot be ever obliterated from our memory.

The country's garment sector has been going through some major reforms since the Rana Plaza disaster in 2013 with rights activists stressing the need for strengthening further the workplace safety and labour rights.