Dhaka factory tragedy should spur reform

Bangladesh authorities and foreign retailers should ensure the safety of all workplaces

Bangladesh property tycoon Sohel Rana (centre) is among those charged over the Rana Plaza collapse. AFP

More than two years after a garment-factory collapse in Dhaka claimed over 1,100 lives, Bangladesh has brought murder charges against dozens of people. They include the owner of the Rana Plaza building, Sohel Rana, his parents and several government officials. For the families of those who died in tragic circumstances and the 2,500 workers who were injured, there is now at least a sense that justice may be done. One day. But there is much more that Bangladesh – and the global clothing industry – has to do if the Rana Plaza disaster is not to become just another unfortunate statistic for the history books: the country’s worst industrial diaster. After all, it was the Triangle Shirtwaist factory fire in New York in 1911 – the most infamous in US history – that led to landmark legislation requiring improved industrial safety standards. Triangle Shirtwaist served as a turning point for America and this is what Rana Plaza must be for Bangladesh.

Central to the Rana Plaza case is the claim that Mr Rana and the owners of five garment companies ordered reluctant workers to enter the building on April 24, 2013 despite the discovery of cracks in the structure the day before. Other charges relate to evidence that floors added to the building were illegally transformed from office space into factories. Other safety breaches are alleged. In other words, the deaths were largely preventable.

The disaster caused global outrage, especially as the low-paid workers were manufacturing clothing for the world’s top fashion and retail brands. To their credit, some of these companies have contributed to a $30 million fund for the victims’ families. But they must do more. In an industry where profit margins are high, they can afford to insist that clothes that bear their brand are manufactured under safe conditions. Consumers increasingly want to buy ethically made products. They will support companies that treat their outsourced workforces well. If standards are not improved in Bangladesh, it risks losing billions of dollars worth of business to other emerging economies, possibly Vietnam and Myanmar. The government in Dhaka must address allegations of high-level interference in the Rana Plaza investigation to protect the well-connected. And it must speed up factory inspections. Justice must be done, lessons learnt and another accident avoided at all costs.