When Rana Plaza, a building which housed clothing factories, collapsed, everyone in the fashion industry was confronted with the real-world cost of the fast fashion cycle. The 2013 disaster left more than 1,100 people dead in what the New York Timescalled “the worst disaster in garment industry history.” Now the fashion world will again be reminded that cheap clothing can come at a high price, as the police in Bangladesh formally charge 41 people with murder for their alleged involvement in the disaster. Among those facing charges: Plaza owner Sohel Rana, his parents, the owners of a number of factories the building houses and “at least a dozen government officials” the paper reports. The case is scheduled for a hearing on June 28.
Credits
Text Isabelle Hellyer
Photography Abir Abdullah/European Pressphoto Agency