Around 57 per cent of the survivors of Rana Plaza—the deadliest industrial disaster in the history of Bangladesh that left over 1,100 dead in 2013—have remained unemployed during the pandemic, a study finds. Besides, the income of most of the employed survivors has decreased drastically due to the Covid-19-induced economic fallout, according to the survey of ActionAid Bangladesh. In such a situation, 92 per cent of the survivors did not get any support from the government during the ongoing epidemic, according to the survey. The findings of the survey were revealed today at a virtual dialogue on ‘Covid-19: Challenges for the Rana Plaza Tragedy Survivors’. The US-based international organisation ActionAid organised the event. Some of the survivors, however, said they have received food, health and hygiene material supports from several local groups and individuals. The survey was conducted on 200 of the survivors, 63 per cent of whom were female. Of the employed survivors, 43 per cent of them are engaged in various types of wage and self-employment where the household income of 37.5 per cent is between Tk 5,001 and Tk 10,300. On April 24 in 2013, the Rana Plaza building collapsed in Savar, on the outskirts of Dhaka, leaving at least 1,138 people, mostly garment workers, dead and 2,500 injured. Alongside highlighting the status of Rana Plaza survivors with particular reference to the challenges they are facing for Covid-19, the virtual dialogue also focused on workers’ protection, workplace safety, gender inequality, skills development, wages, and social security issues. Lawmaker Shirin Akhter attended the event as the chief guest. Among others, Tuomo Poutiainen, country director of ILO country office for Bangladesh; Werner Lange, cluster coordinator, textile and leather of GIZ; Khondokar Golam Moazzem, research director of the Centre for Policy Dialogue, and Farah Kabir, country director of ActionAid Bangladesh, were also present.
