April 24, 2013, began like any other morning in Savar. Within moments, it became a national nightmare. The eight-storey Rana Plaza building collapsed, burying not just bodies, but humanity beneath its ruins. The cries of thousands, the panic, the dust-covered corpses, the wailing children, and the grieving families went into the making of an outsize tragedy in Bangladesh's history. According to official reports, 1,134 people lost their lives, and around 2,500 others were injured. But this was far more than a structural failure-it was a brutal result of unchecked corruption and government inaction. Twelve years have passed. Still, the pain persists for the survivors and their families. We are left asking: Will justice ever come?
Cracks in the building were noticed in advance. Workers voiced their fears. Yet they were forced to enter. What followed was not an accident-it was a mass killing. Responsibility does not rest solely on Sohel Rana, the building's owner. The entire system failed. Despite initial investigations and arrests, justice remains out of reach. Trials drag on. Witnesses are silenced. The accused continue to walk free under the protection of the powerful.
If this country truly valued its workers-the very people who sustain its economy-justice would not have stalled so disgracefully. Garment workers continue to be exploited, their safety routinely ignored. The Rana Plaza collapse broadcast images across the world, turning "Made in Bangladesh" into a phrase stained with blood. Back then, we said, "Justice will come." Today, twelve years later, we must admit-we have failed them.
This tragedy is not isolated. It mirrors the unaddressed horrors of the Tazreen Fashion factory fire and countless other incidents where workers perished with denial of justice. If this culture of impunity continues, Rana Plaza will not be the last.
It is time to wake up. We must hold our legal and justice systems accountable. Workers must have the right to organise strong, independent trade unions. Owners must be held responsible. Above all, the media, civil society, and the public must unite in demanding a change. Only then can we move from darkness towards a just future.
Mst. Mishkatul Islam Mumu
Student
Department of Mass Communication and Journalism
Jagannath University.
mishkatislam102@gmail.com
