Bangladesh factory collapse probe uncovers abuses

The Rana Plaza collapse on 24 April is one of the world’s worst industrial disasters and sparked global outrage. It highlighted working conditions, low wages and safety standards in the country’s garment sector. In the wake of the disaster, there have been a series of angry protests by workers in the garment industry. On Thursday, thousands of garment workers took to the streets in Ashulia, the industrial belt near Dhaka, demanding wage increases and other benefits. Some vehicles were attacked during the protest. The Bangladesh Garment Manufactures and Exporters Association (BGMEA) said they had shut down 21 factories to avoid further unrest. The Rana Plaza disaster prompted the government to introduce some reforms and some international retailers have also proposed an accord to improve safety conditions in Bangladesh. The owner of the building, Mohammad Sohel Rana, was arrested last month as were the owners of factories inside the building. Mr Rana has made no public comment about the incident. His father and uncle have also been arrested and no members of his family have come forward with a statement. The man in charge of the investigation, Mainuddin Khandker, told BBC Bangla on Wednesday that “extremely poor” construction materials were used in the building and said the report identified five causes of the collapse. “A portion of the building was also constructed on land which had been a body of water before and was filled with rubbish,” he told the Associated Press news agency. The 400-page report was submitted to the government on Wednesday.