Parul Begum came to the factory in the morning. She had started her daily work, but the electricity went out. As soon as the generator was turned on, the building collapsed with a loud noise. She ran, but fell and lost consciousness. When she regained consciousness at night, she found herself on a hospital bed.
Bandages covered her stomach. A rod had penetrated her kidney. Despite surviving the accident a decade ago, she is still suffering from various physical complications. She cannot move normally and has lost her ability to work. This woman was a swing operator at the Phantom Tex Limited factory on the fifth floor of the building in Savar.
The building collapse on April 24, 2013 claimed the lives of 1,175 workers. More than 2,000 garment workers were injured as well. Most of the surviving workers have not yet been able to return to normal life. And the trial over the incident is still ongoing. After 12 years, the workers of Rana Plaza are still demanding fair justice and rehabilitation.
On the other hand, despite the terrible accident, building construction in Savar is continuing sans any regulations.
Looking back on April 24, 2013
Rana Plaza was located in the Savar bus stand area next to the Dhaka-Aricha highway. There were various shops on the first floor of the building. There were shops and branches of different banks on the second floor. The third to seventh floors housed several garment factories. Among them, New Wave Bottoms Limited was on the third floor, New Wave Style Limited on the fourth and fifth floors and Phantom Tack Limited, Ethertex Limited Garments on the sixth and seventh floors. The eighth and ninth floors were empty.
About 3,000 workers were working in the building that morning. Work began around 8am and at around 9:30am, the entire building collapsed with a loud noise.
Rescue work began almost immediately after the collapse of the building. Local people came forward at the beginning to help rescue those trapped under the rubble. The army, navy, fire service, Ansar, Rapid Action Battalion and police personnel quickly joined the rescue operation.
A day before the collapse on April 24, cracks appeared on some pillars on the fourth and fifth floors of the building. Due to this, workers came down to the streets. Local journalists went there after receiving the news. However, the owner and the management of the building did not allow the journalists to enter the building. They contacted local administration officials. The news was published in the media.
In the afternoon, the then Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md Kabir Hossain Sardar inspected the cracks in the building. He then told the business and labor representatives: "There is no problem with this crack, there is no possibility of any major accident. A little plaster has come off. Everything will be fine." Then the UNO left the place.
Injured workers, labor leaders, and civil society claim that the building collapse could have been avoided if the administration had taken appropriate action.
Following the collapse, the injured were taken to nearby hospitals and the dead were taken to the Adharchandra High School ground in Savar.
Every body recovered during the rescue operation that lasted for 17 days was taken to that ground by ambulance. Relatives waiting for the bodies would come running as soon as they heard the sirens. This is how their relatives' bodies arrived! The Adharchandra School ground would be filled with the wailing of relatives day and night.
Abdus Salam was studying in school at the time. He said: “Before, I used to roam around and play in this field a lot. But after the collapse of Rana Plaza, the dead bodies were kept in rows on the ground of the school. It still makes me shiver.”
Casualties
The bodies of 1,136 workers were recovered from the Rana Plaza building in a rescue operation that lasted about 17 days. Another 2,438 workers were rescued in injured conditions.
Many of the injured still carry the painful memories of that day. Many have lost limbs and are crippled.
Leaders of various labor organizations built a martyrs’ altar in front of the ruins of Rana Plaza on May 24, 2013, in memory of the unfortunate workers.
The temporary martyrs’ altar was named “Protest-Resistance”.
Various labor organizations have been carrying out various agitation programs centered around this altar. It has now become a “symbol of protest.”
The site of Rana Plaza
Almost all the rubble was removed immediately after the collapse. Then the land was surrounded by barbed wire and tin fences. At that time, relatives of the injured, dead and missing in the Rana Plaza collapse used to come to the site almost every day. However, the site gradually turned into abandoned land.
Currently, the site is occupied by various creepers. The altar is in front and cars are parked along the sidewalk. However, with the arrival of April 24, the site came to life as different bodies have plans to organize various programs there.
The unfortunate did not get justice
Three cases were filed over the Rana Plaza collapse incident. Among them, the police filed a case alleging negligence in duty for the death of the workers. The Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) filed another case over the construction of the building in violation of the Building Construction Act. And the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the third case for corruption related to the construction of the building.
None of the trials have concluded yet. The case filed under the Building Construction Rules Act has been pending in the High Court for a long time. It is currently pending in the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate's Court in Dhaka. The case filed by the police is pending in the District and Sessions Judge's Court in Dhaka. And the case filed by the ACC is at the testimony stage.
Fighting for survival, demanding rehabilitation
Many have been struggling for survival with disabilities for almost 12 years. The workers allege that no one has come forward to rehabilitate them despite their living with illness and poverty for a long time. Leaders of labor organizations have also been demanding punishment of the guilty, including Rana Plaza owner Sohel Rana, and rehabilitation of the workers.
Injured worker of Rana Plaza Parul Begum said, “I got hurt in my stomach. I have not been able to work for so many years. I am struggling with my family. It has been so long since the Rana Plaza collapse, no one has heard from us. We do not ask anyone for alms. We should be given our fair share.”
She said, “I want the hanging of those who harmed us, including the owner of this building, Rana, the garment owner, and everyone involved. And we have been demanding from the government for a long time that a market be built where Rana Plaza used to be and that the brothers and sisters of Rana Plaza be rehabilitated.”
Nilufa Begum, a swing operator at a factory in Rana Plaza, was mortally injured in the collapse. She has been carrying a leg wound for a decade. She is slowly dying due to lack of proper treatment. Nilufa Begum said, "It has been 12 years since the Rana Plaza collapse, but no one has taken any notice of us. One of my legs is seriously injured. I have had to undergo 11 operations on my leg. I have been to many places to amputate my leg. There is one last operation that will cost a lot of money. I will have to deposit money before the operation. But where will I get that money?" She broke down in tears as she spoke. She said, "Thank you, media brothers. They are the ones who remember. No one has ever inquired. We have not received compensation or justice. There were thousands of dead bodies here, and now everyone defecates and urinates here. We are now drawing the attention of the chief advisor to construct a building at the site and make arrangements for the rehabilitation of those who have been affected, injured, and beg."
What the workers’ leaders are saying
After the Rana Plaza collapse, almost every labor organization took some sort of initiative. They started a movement to keep working conditions safe for workers. They also demanded compensation for the dead and injured. They strongly demanded that April 24 be declared a national day of mourning.
Khairul Mamun Mintu, Legal Secretary of Bangladesh Garments and Sweaters Workers Trade Union Center, said: “Even after 12 years, none of our demands have been met. No initiative has been taken for the treatment and rehabilitation of the injured. We demand speedy trial regarding the cases and effective measures to rehabilitate the injured workers.”
Rafiqul Islam Sujan, president of the Central Committee of Bangladesh Garments and Industrial Workers Federation, said: “We have been agitating for a decade to ensure maximum punishment for all those responsible for the Rana Plaza collapse. Our demands to the interim government are to acquire the land of Rana Plaza, rehabilitate the affected workers and their families, ensure good medical treatment for them, announce April 24 as a day of national mourning. We also want the government to build a memorial on the land where the Rana Plaza once stood.”
