A protest rally and candle lighting event was held by the relatives of the deceased workers, injured workers, and various labor organizations to commemorate the workers who died in the Rana Plaza collapse.
They demanded the declaration of a mourning day for the garment industry, the construction of a memorial at Rana Plaza, and lifetime compensation for the affected workers.
The protest rally started on Wednesday afternoon, and in the evening, candles were lit in front of the Rana Plaza altar on the Dhaka-Aricha Highway in Savar to honour the victims.
Khairul Mamun Mintu, the legal affairs secretary of the Bangladesh Garments and Sweaters Workers’ Trade Union, said: "Twelve years have passed since the Rana Plaza disaster, but compensation has not been ensured.”
He added: “Calling this an accident would be a mistake; it was a massacre. All victims need necessary support, rehabilitation, and long-term medical treatment."
Rafiqul Islam Sujon, the central president of the Bangladesh Garments and Industrial Workers' Federation, said: "After the workers were injured, they went door-to-door for treatment. They still haven't received any compensation.”
He added: “Twelve years have passed, and we still haven’t seen justice for those involved in the Rana Plaza incident. We demand justice and compensation from the interim government."
Advocate Mahbub Alam Ismail, president of the Bangladesh Textile and Garments Workers' Federation, said: "The land and property of Rana Plaza should be seized to rehabilitate the injured workers and the families of the deceased.”
He added: “The injured must receive proper medical treatment, and the highest punishment should be ensured for Sohel Rana and all those responsible. April 24 should be declared a National Mourning Day."
At the event, members of various workers’ and labor organizations, including Motaleb Hossain Ratan from the Bangladesh Garments Workers Unity Federation, Nahidul Islam Nayan from the Combined Workers Federation, and the Rana Plaza Survivors Association, were also present.
