Five years ago today, 1,134 people were killed and over 2,500 were injured when Rana Plaza collapsed, shaking Bangladeshi to its core.
But no matter how much time has passed, we cannot allow the memory of that fateful day to fade.
There is no denying that, since then, Bangladesh has taken great strides in ensuring worker safety. The Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety and Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh have worked together to protect the rights of the thousands of workers reliant on the RMG sector for their livelihoods.
But there is still much room for improvement.
Out of the rubble of the collapse, Bangladesh has had to take a long hard look at itself, and we have come to the realisation that, when it comes to the rights of the ones who reside on the lowest rung of the social ladder, we have been negligent.
To this day, workers continue to get the short end of the stick, being some of the lowest paid while continuing to work as much as some of the hardest.
To ensure better working conditions and pay, all stakeholders must play a part, not just the RMG sector. Foreign and local companies and the government must also enforce the notion that worker rights come first, and profit second.
Continuing to demand the lowest prices and remaining ignorant of the human sacrifice and toll involved is no longer morally feasible.
With Bangladesh having moved towards developing nation status, surely we can afford to improve the lives of even our lowest paid workers, and increase their wages, which currently stands at a very low $68 per month.
Undoubtedly, Bangladesh has come a long way since Rana Plaza collapsed. While we trust that a repeat is not on the cards, there are still many ways in which we can improve in the realm of worker rights.
