Twelve years after the Rana Plaza collapse killed 1,134 workers, Bangladesh's ready-made garment industry has doubled in value to $47bn in annual exports. Using ILO inspection data, Accord reports, and BGMA export records, we assess whether the safety revolution has matched the commercial growth.
- ▸On April 24, 2013, the Rana Plaza building collapse in Savar killed 1,134 garment workers and injured more than 2,500 — the deadliest accident in the history of the garment industry.
- ▸According to the Accord's final report published in 2020, inspectors identified 147,000 individual safety violations across 1,826 factories.
- ▸Of these, 89% were remediated before the Accord's transition to the Ready-Made Garment Sustainability Council (RSC) in 2020.
- ▸The most common violations were inadequate fire exits (present in 43% of factories), improper electrical wiring (38%), and structural overload (22%).
- ▸The regression rate was highest for electrical safety (41%) and fire door maintenance (37%).
On April 24, 2013, the Rana Plaza building collapse in Savar killed 1,134 garment workers and injured more than 2,500 — the deadliest accident in the history of the garment industry. In the decade since, Bangladesh's ready-made garment (RMG) sector has undergone a transformation that is both remarkable and incomplete.
"Bangladesh exported $46.99 billion in RMG products in FY2025, up from $21.5 billion in FY2013 — a compound annual growth rate of 7.3%, making it the world's second-largest garment exporter after China.
The Safety Infrastructure
The Rana Plaza collapse triggered an unprecedented international response. Two inspection programmes — the Accord on Fire and Building Safety (backed by 200+ global brands) and the National Initiative (led by the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association) — collectively inspected over 3,500 factories between 2013 and 2020.
According to the Accord's final report published in 2020, inspectors identified 147,000 individual safety violations across 1,826 factories. Of these, 89% were remediated before the Accord's transition to the Ready-Made Garment Sustainability Council (RSC) in 2020. The most common violations were inadequate fire exits (present in 43% of factories), improper electrical wiring (38%), and structural overload (22%).
The Remediation Gap
However, a 2024 follow-up audit by the RSC, reviewed by DOCFLiX.site, found that 34% of previously remediated factories had regressed on at least one critical safety indicator within 18 months of the initial corrective action. The regression rate was highest for electrical safety (41%) and fire door maintenance (37%).
The Commercial Reality
Despite safety concerns, Bangladesh's RMG sector continues to grow. BGMA data shows that 85% of the country's export earnings come from garments. The sector employs 4.4 million workers, of whom approximately 60% are women. The average monthly wage for an entry-level garment worker in 2025 is Tk 12,500 ($114), up from Tk 5,300 ($68) in 2013 but still among the lowest in the global apparel supply chain.
The Minimum Wage Question
In December 2024, the Bangladesh government increased the minimum wage for garment workers to Tk 12,500 per month — a 56% increase from the previous Tk 8,000. However, labour rights organisations including the Solidarity Center estimate that a living wage for Dhaka would require at least Tk 25,000 per month. The wage board's decision followed weeks of protests in Gazipur and Savar that resulted in at least four worker deaths.
Market Diversification
Bangladesh's RMG exports have diversified significantly since 2013. While the European Union remains the largest market (52% of exports), the US market share has grown from 18% to 23%, and new markets in Japan, Australia, and India now account for 8% combined. Non-knitwear (woven) exports have grown from 38% to 44% of total RMG exports, indicating an upgrade in manufacturing capability.
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