Beyond the Collapse
Twelve years have passed since the Rana Plaza building collapsed in Savar, Bangladesh. It happened on April 24, 2013. It was one of the deadliest factory disasters in the world. The eight- story building had five garment factories. That day, it suddenly fell down, killing 1,134 people and injuring more than 2,500. Many survivors are still disabled. The pain and trauma from that day are still fresh.
The collapse was not just a building failure it was a failure of humanity. The building had big cracks, but workers were still forced to go inside. They were told they would lose their pay if they stayed home. Just hours later, the building crashed, trapping thousands under the rubble. Some people were rescued after many hours, even days. But many others never came out alive.
A report by ActionAid Bangladesh shows that over half of the survivors are still unemployed. Almost 90% have not had a job for more than five years. Many of them live in poverty. They suffer from long-term pain, cannot move properly, and have mental health problems. Their lives have changed forever.
After the tragedy, some safety rules were made stronger in the garment industry. Agreements like the Accord and Alliance helped make factories safer. The RMG Sustainability Council (RSC) now checks factory safety. On paper, things look better. But the people who built this industry with their hard work still live in hardship.
Today, the Rana Plaza site is still empty. It reminds us of the greed and carelessness that led to the deaths of so many workers. Bangladesh’s garment industry keeps growing. Clothes from here are sent all over the world. But the pain of Rana Plaza workers has not been solved.
We must remember behind every piece of clothing is a person. Sometimes, that person is still suffering. Survivors of Rana Plaza are still living with pain, poverty, and sadness. Twelve years later, the tragedy is not over. It continues in the lives of those who were left behind. Until all survivors get the help, respect, and support they deserve, Rana Plaza will not be just history, it will remain a living wound.
Yanur Akhter (27) sits with her son in their modest bedroom in Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh, on April 7, 2025. Twelve years after surviving the Rana Plaza collapse, she continues to live with severe injuries and chronic pain, unable to work or manage household chores.
Yanur Akhter was just 15 years old when she was trapped under the rubble of Rana Plaza for 18 hours. A concrete beam fell on her, and she suffered extensive spinal and nerve damage. Her mother, who also worked in the building, never made it home. Now 27, Yanur relies on medication and her husband’s limited income to survive, as her physical condition prevents her from holding a job or fully caring for her family.
Saddam Hossain (38) poses for a portrait at a relative’s house in Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh, on March 23, 2023. He lost his right hand and suffered injuries to his leg, head, and ear when the building next to Rana Plaza partially collapsed during the 2013 disaster.
Saddam Hossain was working at the Nestlé office in a building next to Rana Plaza when the eight-story factory collapsed on April 24, 2013. The falling debris damaged his building, killing four people and injuring seven others. Saddam was trapped for nearly two hours. His right hand was badly injured and later had to be amputated. He also received injuries to his leg, head, and ear, which still affect him today. Now 38, he is unemployed and depends on the interest from a small family savings scheme to support his household. He got married in 2018, but life remains difficult as he continues to live with the physical and emotional scars of that day.
Mahmudul Hasan Hridoy (35) poses for a portrait at his small pharmacy in Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh, on March 23, 2023.
Mahmudul Hasan Hridoy was working as a quality inspector on the 8th floor of New Wave Style Ltd. Just three days earlier, he had married Yasmin Akhter Iti. Hridoy was trapped under the rubble for nearly 20 hours before rescuers found him. Despite months of treatment, he never fully recovered. His ribs were crushed inward, making it hard to breathe, and one of his legs became paralyzed. He now uses crutches and needs help to move. While pregnant, his wife left him and later ended the marriage with a divorce letter in June 2015. Hridoy now runs a small pharmacy to survive, but life remains a daily struggle.
Nilufa Begum (42) poses for a portrait with her medical report in her bedroom in Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh, on March 23, 2023. A decade after surviving the Rana Plaza collapse, Nilufa still lives with a swollen leg supported by a brace, enduring constant pain, health complications, and a life uprooted by the disaster.
Nilufa Begum was a sewing operator on the fifth floor of Rana Plaza, working at Phantom Apparels Ltd. She was trapped under debris for nine hours when the building collapsed. A beam crushed her right leg, leading to 11 surgeries over the next decade. Despite being able to walk now, she still wears a brace and suffers from kidney issues, poor eyesight, and a breast tumor. Nilufa lost her husband in 2019 and now struggles to raise her 18-year-old son, Rifat, alone. Once a factory worker, she now sells cigarettes and paan to survive and dreams of securing a better future for her son.
Sumi Akhter (28) poses for a portrait in her bedroom in Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh, on April 12, 2023. A survivor of the Rana Plaza collapse, Sumi lost her right leg in the disaster and now walks with a prosthetic limb. A decade later, she continues to live with the trauma and economic hardships that followed.
Sumi Akhter was a swing operator at New Wave Style garments. Having just joined earlier that month, she narrowly escaped death but lost her mother in the tragedy. Trapped under rubble for three days, her right leg was severely injured and later amputated to save her life. Since then, Sumi has been unemployed and relies on a prosthetic leg, which must be replaced every 1.5 to 2 years. While initial prosthetics were provided for free, she recently had to take out a loan to buy one. Now a mother, she struggles with the financial burden and fears for her son’s uncertain future.
Mohammad Shahidul Islam (34) poses for a portrait in his house in Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh, on April 7, 2025. Shahidul continues to struggle with mental health issues more than a decade after the tragedy.
Mohammad Shahidul Islam was working as a finishing iron man on the sixth floor of Ether Tex Ltd. After being trapped under debris for nearly six hours, he was rescued and survived the horrific incident. However, the trauma left deep psychological scars. Even after all these years, Shahidul remains under treatment for mental health complications. Now living in Savar with his wife and two children, he continues to battle the long-term effects of the disaster while trying to rebuild a stable life for his family.
Rubi Akhter (57) poses for a portrait holding a photo of her late daughter Morjina Akhter at her house in Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh, on March 16, 2023. A grieving mother and Rana Plaza victim’s family member, Rubi, still mourns the loss of her daughter, who died in the collapse.
Rubi Akhter lost her daughter, Morjina Akhter, who worked at New Wave Bottom Apparels Ltd. on the fourth floor of Rana Plaza. After the building collapsed, Rubi rushed to the site and waited in agony for days. It wasn’t until 17 days later that she found her daughter’s lifeless and disfigured body among the ruins. Since then, Rubi has been living alone, carrying the weight of her grief. To survive, she now works as a domestic helper, struggling to make ends meet while holding on to memories of her daughter. “If she were still alive, I wouldn’t be struggling so much,” she says.
Renu Begum and her husband, Ali Ahammed, hold a photo of their late son, Robiul Islam Manik, at their house in Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh, on March 13, 2023. Over a decade later, the grieving parents continue to live in sorrow and hardship.
Robiul Islam Manik, 27, worked as a Machine Mechanic In-charge on the seventh floor of Rana Plaza and was the sole breadwinner for his family. His parents, both elderly and in poor health, now live in financial distress, unable to work. “If my son were still alive, our struggles wouldn’t be so hard,” said Renu.
Mohammad Khokon (41) poses for a portrait with his vegetable cart in an alley in Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh, on April 7, 2025. Khokon now sells vegetables door-to-door to support his family.
Mohammad Khokon worked as a sewing operator on the seventh floor of New Wave Bottom Apparels. He was rescued nearly six hours after the building collapsed, suffering a serious injury to his right hand. Since then, he has faced ongoing physical health issues. Unable to return to factory work, he now earns a living by selling vegetables from a cart in local neighborhoods. He lives in Savar with his wife and two children.
Parul Begum (33) and her husband Mohammad Yasin (55) pose for a portrait at their house in Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh, on March 13, 2023. Both are survivors of the Rana Plaza collapse and continue to live with physical pain and financial hardship.
Parul Begum was working on the fifth floor of Phantom Tec Ltd. when Rana Plaza collapsed. Trapped for eight hours under the rubble, she sustained severe injuries—a rod pierced her side, and her right kidney was damaged. She has been unable to work due to chronic pain. Her husband, Mohammad Yasin, also suffered injuries, including a ruptured eardrum. Though he was out of work for nearly four years, he now works as a security guard at a small factory. The couple struggles to make ends meet on his modest income.
Jasmin Akhter poses for a portrait with her child in their bedroom at Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh, on April 07, 2025. Jasmin continues to battle physical pain and emotional trauma while raising her child alone.
Jasmin Akhter, 36, worked as a sewing operator on the fifth floor of Phantom Tec Ltd. in Rana Plaza. She was rescued nearly five hours after the collapse, sustaining injuries to her waist, spine, and legs. Despite multiple treatments, her health continues to deteriorate. After her child was born a year later, her husband left her. Now living in a single rented room in Savar, she works as a domestic helper to survive. “I can neither live a healthy life myself nor give my child the life they deserve,” Jasmin says.
Nilufar Yasmin (38) poses for a portrait holding a photo of her younger self, once published in a magazine, inside her modest bedroom in Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh, on April 07, 2025. She now works as a day laborer to survive.
Nilufar Yasmin used to work at Ether Tex Ltd. on the sixth floor of Rana Plaza. The injuries she suffered in the collapse and the long road to recovery changed the course of her life. Her husband left her due to her deteriorating health. Despite the hardship, she raised two children alone, marrying off her daughter and ensuring her son received an education. With no steady support, Nilufar now works as a day laborer to make ends meet, holding onto memories of a past where hope once lived.