THE failure to ensure justice even 13 years after the collapse of Rana Plaza, one of the deadliest industrial disasters in modern history, is deplorable and consequences of this failure are profound. The disaster at Savar, which left 1,136 workers dead and thousands more injured on April 24, 2013, was expected to trigger a decisive overhaul in both accountability and labour justice. Yet, more than a decade on, the legal aftermath tells a story of inertia and institutional failure. Nineteen civil and criminal cases remain pending with courts and the High Court Division, with proceedings advancing at a disturbingly slow pace. In the main homicide case alone, only 145 of 594 witnesses have given deposition despite dozens of hearing dates. An Appellate Division directive in January 2024 to complete the trials within six months has gone largely unheeded, exposing a troubling disconnect between judicial intent and implementation. While the building owner remains behind bars, justice cannot be reduced to prolonged detention without verdicts. Several labour cases filed under the Labour Act 2006 by the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments remain stuck in preliminary stages, with warrants for arrest yet to be executed in multiple instances.
A separate criminal case under the Building Construction Act 1952 has been stalled since 2018 owing to a High Court stay, further compounding the sense of judicial paralysis. Meanwhile, writ petitions seeking compensation and improved workplace safety, filed by organisations such as the Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust, have not been heard for years. While the prolonged delay underscores systemic weaknesses in prosecution, investigation and case management, the consequences are borne not by institutions but by survivors and families, many of whom continue to struggle with disability, trauma and financial insecurity. Compensation under legal provisions remains grossly inadequate, with payments falling far short of ensuring long-term rehabilitation or dignity. The promise that the disaster would catalyse meaningful reform in worker protection and compensation frameworks, thus, remains only partially fulfilled, undermined by bureaucratic delay and a lack of urgency. The continued stagnation of the Rana Plaza cases not only denies justice to victims but also weakens the credibility of labour governance framework. Equally troubling is the failure to resolve other cases related to industrial disasters. While there has been some improvement in factory safety standards over the years, delayed justice in the cases risks normalising impunity in industrial regulation.
An early resolution of the cases is, therefore, both a moral and institutional imperative. The government and the judiciary must act in concert to ensure justice and to set a precedent that industrial negligence carries consequences. The government should also pursue an expeditious resolution of other cases related to industrial disasters that have killed and injured hundreds of workers.
