In the wake of the eighth anniversary of the Rana Plaza collapse in 2013, just-style continues to look at issues around the tragedy. Two initiatives were set up in the aftermath of the incident to oversee the country's clothing factories for fire, electrical and structural issues – the Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety and the Bangladesh Accord on Fire and Building Safety. The Accord’s tenure comes to an end next month, and there are serious concerns for garment workers if another agreement is not signed soon.
The Rana Plaza disaster was a wake-up call to Bangladesh and the entire garment industry that building and worker safety should be a priority. Eight years on and the country has one of the safest and most transparent apparel industries thanks to the remediation work that ensued. But while much has been achieved, there remains no room for complacency.