Even after two years of Rana Plaza collapse, victims and their families are still waiting for compensation as the government has failed to compensate them due to failure in collecting funds from the owners and buyers.

Some organisations, including the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund (PMRF) and ILO Trust Fund, have provided financial assistances to a major portion of Rana Plaza victims, but none of them were paid their required compensation as per the law.

According to Bangladesh Labour Act 2006, which was amended in 2013, the maximum amount of compensation which may be awarded in cases of workplace deaths to the dependents of a deceased worker is Tk one lakh, while the amount is Tk 1.5 lakh if a worker suffers from permanent disablement as a result of a workplace injury.

The law reads that case of workers temporary disablement, compensation may be assessed for the period of their disablement or one year whichever is less. 

The law also said that in case of death, the sum must be deposited in the labour court by the employer.

The deadly building collapse in Savar killed at least 1137 people, mostly readymade garment workers, injuring over 2400 people in 24 April 2013.

Many people, mostly workers are still missing who were reportedly trapped inside the building when the nine-storey building that housed five garment factories collapsed at Savar in Dhaka.

According to figures announced by the Prime Minster’s Office, about Tk 22.94 crore was distributed to the victim families from the PMRF. However, the state minister for labour Mujibul Haque recently said that the amount is Tk 29.39 crore while Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) claimed that the amount is Tk 25 crore.

A total of Tk 185 crore was distributed among the affected families and victims from PMRF and ILO Trust Fund, collected from government, owners and buyers. However, the fund was distributed only among the 70% victims and families, while the 30% gets nothing.
 

Two years on, charge sheets remains pending:
The investigation agency Criminal Investigation Department is yet to file charge sheets in three cases filed by Rajdhani Unnayan Kartipakkha (RAJUK), police and spouse of a deceased worker.

The police have brought murder charges against Sohel Rana, and building owners while RAJUK filed a case for structural fault, construction of building with substandard materials, and violation of Bangladesh National Building Code accusing Rana and owners of the factories.

In addition, Sheuli Akter, spouse of deceased worker Jahangir Alam filed a case with a Dhaka Chief Judicial Magistrate Court against Sohel Rana, Chairman of New Wave Style Bozlus Samad Adnan, and the Chief Engineer of Savar Municipality Imtemam Hossain Babu bringing murder charges against them.

Charge sheets in all three cases remain pending as the investigators are yet to receive approval from the government on including name of some government officials in charge sheet.

The BGMEA, who agreed to provide job to all jobless of the five garment factories located at collapsed Rana Plaza, is still to fulfil their promises. The association has so far provided jobs to a total of 140 workers, who lost their jobs due to Rana Plaza tragedy.

The government is yet to make any factory law to avert such deadly disaster in future. The Accord and Alliance are only inspecting security and safety issues only in readymade factories, but inspection in other factories remains out of attention.