Survivors of the 2013 Rana Plaza building collapse on Thursday alleged that funds collected abroad in the name of affected workers are not reaching the actual victims.
They also said many survivors and families of the deceased continue to live in extreme hardship even 13 years after the tragedy.
They made the allegation at a press conference organised by the Rana Plaza Survivors Association in the capital.
The association demanded full compensation, long-term rehabilitation and transparency in the management of foreign donations collected for Rana Plaza victims.
Speaking at the event, Mahmudul Hasan Hridoy, president of the association, said thousands of injured workers are still suffering from permanent disabilities, psychological trauma and unemployment.
“Rana Plaza survivors are not asking for charity. We are demanding our rightful, constitutional and humanitarian rights,” he said while reading out a written statement on behalf of the association.
The association expressed serious concern that funds are being raised overseas using the names of Rana Plaza victims without any transparent or survivor-led mechanism, alleging that the real victims are being deprived of the benefits.
Money is being collected abroad in the name of Rana Plaza victims, but the actual survivors are not receiving anything and this is a grave injustice to workers who have already suffered beyond measure, the statement said.
The association demanded an immediate suspension of all foreign fundraising activities until a transparent, accountable and survivor-centric system is put in place.
The speakers also condemned what they described as a false and harassing case filed against labour leader Yasmin Chowdhury, calling it an attempt to silence the workers’ movement.
They demanded the immediate withdrawal of the case.
In an emotional address, Hridoy, himself a Rana Plaza survivor, said he had faced repeated attacks for speaking out in favour of justice and compensation for victims.
He alleged that although reports claim hundreds of crores of taka were collected in the name of Rana Plaza victims, many survivors have received little or no support.
