It has been a year since death and misery invaded Rana Plaza in Dhaka claiming 1,135 lives and injuring about 2,500, many of them now disabled forever. Obviously no lessons were learned from the earlier disaster when a fire at Tazreen factory killed 112 workers. But the question is: have we now learned the lessons? Perhaps answer remains the same — no. May be some changes on the paper — amendment in labour laws, elevating the minimum wages, improving the factory inspections; but in reality don’t expect much on ground. Do we see any pressure from the Western fashion supply chains and retailers on Bangladeshi garment industry to improve the working conditions? They were even unable to meet the pledges for Rana Plaza Trust Fund. Beyond any doubt, these supply chains have the power to bring about changes in working conditions of Bangladeshi workers, but that means a bit cut in profit or costly garments. But where is the government’s role in improving the working conditions, enforcing factories inspections and monitoring to follow safety rules, moving garment factories out of congested urban areas, action against the people responsible for Rana Plaza tragedy. Sadly such inaction is not limited to Bangladesh alone, in Pakistan 257 workers lost their lives in fires in a garment factory in Karachi and a shoemaking factory in Lahore in a single night in 2012. Action: judicial commission, enquiry report, files and dust till it’s time for another judicial inquiry — That’s it.
MASOOD KHAN
Jubail, Saudi Arabia
