3 Years after Rana Plaza: Justice Remains Elusive

April 24th, 2016 marked the 3rd anniversary of the Rana Plaza tragedy that killed 1,129 garment workers and injured thousands more.

The Bangladesh Occupational Safety, Health and Environment Foundation (OSHE), as part of its ongoing advocacy to ensure social protection for the workplace accident victims and affected families, organized a human chain and laid wreaths at the site of the Rana Plaza disaster in Savar.

The Rana Plaza Accident Victims Rights Network convener, Ohidul Alom, and more than 100 victims and family members paid tribute to their sisters and brothers who had lost their lives or were injured in the tragedy.

A discussion meeting was organized in a hall overlooking the site to assess the present status of compensation to the victims and their rehabilitation. Network member Shafiqul Islam demanded that the government ensure that justice is delivered, laws are enforced and that the employers and erring officials held accountable. Victims should receive just and fair compensation immediately and workplace safety needs to be ensured to prevent future tragedies. Network member Akhi also demanded free treatment facilities (both short and long term), rehabilitation of the survivors, provision of alternate jobs, education of impacted children and most importantly establishment of a special tribunal for speedy delivery of justice.

Representatives from the Asia Monitor Resource Centre (AMRC) Sanjiv Pandita and Omana George from Hong Kong, Jagdish Patel from People's Training Research Centre (PTRC) India, Mohit Gupta, coordinator of the Asian Network for the Rights of Occupational and Environmental Victims (ANROEV), Repon Chowdhury, Executive Director of OSHE Foundation and several union leaders were present as special guests to express solidarity with the victims’ rights network.

Contact:

Repon Chowdhury, OSHE Foundation
Email: repon.chowdhury@gmail.com

Omana George
Asia Monitor Resource Centre (AMRC)
Email: omana@amrc.org.hk