Nusrat Sultana,

On April 24, 2013, the world watched in horror as the Rana Plaza building in Savar, near
Dhaka, Bangladesh, collapsed, killing 1,136 people and injuring more than 2,500. It was one
of the deadliest industrial disasters in history, and a wake-up call for the global fashion
industry. But over a decade later, have we truly learned the lessons it offered? In Rana Plaza, Cracks were discovered in the structure just a day before the collapse, prompting the bank and shops to close. However, garment factory owners, driven by
pressure to meet deadlines for Western brands, forced workers to return. The next morning,as the machines started humming, the building crumbled like a house of cards. Then thebuilding collapsed.The Rana Plaza tragedy exposedthe underbelly of fast fashion—a system dependent on low-cost labor and weak regulations. Bangladesh, the second-largest apparel exporter
globally after China, employs over 4 million workers in its garment industry, more than 80% of whom are women. The demand for cheap clothes in Europe and North America hasfueled a race to the bottom in wages and working conditions.Before the collapse, garment workers in Bangladesh earned as little as $38 a month.Factories operated in unsafe buildings, and safety audits were rare. The collapse was not a
freak accident; it was the result of systemic neglect, corruption, and a lack of accountability.The international outcry led to the creation of the Accord on Fire and Building Safety inBangladesh, signed by over 200 global brands and retailers. This legally binding agreement
aimed to ensure safer workplaces through independent inspections, public disclosure offindings, and worker training. By 2021, over 38,000 inspections had been conducted across more than 1,600 factories, resulting in the remediation of over 90% of safety hazards.
The Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety, another initiative led by North American brands, also contributed to infrastructure improvements. Meanwhile, the minimum wage for  garment workers was raised to approximately $95 per month by 2018—a significant
increase, yet still below a living wage.According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), workplace injuries in the sector
have decreased by over 50% since 2013. Factory fires, once common, have declined dramatically thanks to better equipment, emergency plans, and worker training. Yet, the system remains far from perfect:
● Only 10% of factories are now unionized, and union organizers often face
intimidation.
● Wage theft and forced overtime continue to plague many workers.
● Western brands still squeeze suppliers for the lowest costs, often passing the
pressure down to laborers.

The Rana Plaza disaster should be more than a tragic memory. It should be a turning point.
We must shift the conversation from reactive to proactive. Brands must be held accountable
not just after accidents, but in how they structure their global supply chains every day.
Consumers, too, have a role to play. Ethical fashion is not just a trend but a necessity.
Demand transparency. Ask where and how your clothes are made. Support brands that
invest in fair wages and safe conditions.
And for Bangladesh, the path forward lies in empowering its workforce. Stronger labor laws,
better enforcement, and greater worker representation are essential. Only then can the
country garment industry thrive sustainably—economically, socially, and morally.
Rana Plaza should never have happened. But if we remember it only with sorrow and not
resolve, we risk repeating its horrors. Let it be a lesson not buried in rubble, but etched into
policy, practice, and our collective conscience.

Student, University of Chittagong.