Helping Rana Plaza tragedy victims

Every Bangladeshi remembers the tragedy struck in Bangladesh on April 24, 2013. Rana Plaza, an eight-story commercial building, collapsed in savar. The building has several garment factories and other shops and offices including a bank. Once the building wall had developed cracks, many offices including the bank evacuated their employees and abandoned the building. The city official had already declared the building. Only the poor garments workers were forced to work there in such unsafe condition. At nine am local time, the building collapsed killing and wounding thousands of people. These are the people who were forced to work by their employers and by their necessity of survival. But they could not survive. Many of them perished not living any trace.

The search for the dead ended on 13 May with the death toll of 1,129. This was the official death toll. Many remained unaccounted for. Even now (at the end of 2013), human remains and skeletons are being found at the site. Approximately 2,515 injured people were rescued from the building alive. Many of them have to be amputated to save their lives, others have already become disabled due to damage of body parts.

It is considered to be the deadliest garment-factory accident in history, as well as the deadliest accidental structural failure in modern human history. The victims were the contributors to the industry which provides 80% of Bangladesh’s $24 billion annual exports. They provide sustenance to many at the expense of their own.

AICS was able to support the victims through the Valerie Tailor Trust. Mr. Brian Woodgate, the Executive Director of the Trust, assured us that the entire fund we provide will be spent directly on Rana Plaza victims. Mr. Woodgate also assured us that their works are mostly done by volunteers and their administrative cost is only 2%. The fund provided by us will be exempted from this administrative cost.