A cross-party group of UK parliamentarians has come together to mark the tenth anniversary of the Rana Plaza disaster, which claimed the lives of 1,134 people, injured around 2,500, and impacted countless livelihoods.
The MPs signed an Early Day Motion which also recognised the progress made in the last decade, saying it, “commends Bangladesh for its subsequent efforts to transform the safety and sustainability of its garment sector”.
The Motion also noted that, “Bangladesh has 187 LEED-certified green factories, including half the world's top 100 LEED certified green factories”.
The motion ended by calling for “all countries and fashion brands to raise standards for the environment and for workers”.
The motion was tabled by lawmaker Sir Stephen Timms, for East Ham, which has one of the UK’s largest British-Bangladeshi communities.
It was supported by other MPs including the Conservatives’ Bob Blackman, Labour’s Hilary Benn, the Scottish National Party’s Lisa Cameron and the Democratic Unionist Party’s Jim Shannon.
Among the signatories was Rushanara Ali, for Bethnal Green and Bow, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Bangladesh and the UK Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy for Bangladesh.
Other MPs are expected to sign in the next few days.
Sir Stephen Timms, said, “The Rana Plaza disaster sent shock waves around the world. Ten years on, hundreds of Bangladesh families are still grappling with the consequences, and our hearts go out to them. We welcome the major improvements which have been made since in Bangladesh to safeguard worker safety, and hope that similar improvements will follow in garment factories in other countries.”
Syed Mozammel Ali, Chair of the Bangladesh Study Circle, said, “The Rana Plaza disaster was one of the worst tragedies to affect Bangladesh. We are grateful to Sir Stephen Timms and all the parliamentarians who signed this motion for joining all of us in Bangladesh, the UK, and around the World, who mourn the tragic loss of those who suffered. It is also right that they have recognised that Bangladesh has come a long way in these last 10 years, in terms of both sustainability and labour rights”.
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