The disaster that made the world ask who makes our clothes, and what has changed since.
By Shreya S · Last reviewed 15 November 2026
What happened at Rana Plaza?
On 24 April 2013, the eight-storey Rana Plaza building in Savar, near Dhaka in Bangladesh, collapsed. It housed garment factories making clothes for Western brands. Cracks had appeared the day before, but workers were ordered back inside. 1,134 people were killed and thousands injured, making it the deadliest disaster in the history of the garment industry. It came months after the Tazreen factory fire in Dhaka killed more than 100 workers.
What changed afterwards?
Within weeks, brands, retailers and unions signed the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh, a legally binding agreement that funded independent inspections and repairs at thousands of factories. It was renewed in 2021 as the International Accord and extended to Pakistan. Factory safety in Bangladesh improved significantly as a result.
What is Fashion Revolution?
A movement founded in the UK after the collapse. Every April, around the anniversary, it runs Fashion Revolution Week and asks shoppers to post the question #WhoMadeMyClothes to brands. It also publishes a transparency index ranking how much big brands disclose about their suppliers.
Are garment workers better off now?
Safer, but still badly paid. Campaigners say minimum wages in the main garment-producing countries remain far below a living wage, and workers who protest risk losing their jobs. Bangladesh raised its garment minimum wage in late 2023 after mass protests, but unions argued the increase was not enough. Price pressure from brands is a big part of the problem.
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