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Garment industry in Bangladesh

ILO Deputy DG welcomes advance payments to Rana Plaza survivors and victims' families

Initial disbursements of TK 50,000 (US$ 645) made to survivors and families of those who died in the Rana Plaza building collapse in April 2013.

Press release | 22 April 2014
DHAKA – Gilbert Houngbo, ILO Deputy Director-General for Field Operations and Partnerships, welcomed compensation payments made by the Rana Plaza Coordination Committee to survivors of the Rana Plaza tragedy and the families of those who died on 24 April, 2013.

“These initial payments are good news, now it needs to be ensured that all legitimate claims are honoured and that the injured victims or their surviving families receive full entitlements for their losses,” Houngbo said.

The payments of TK 50,000 (U$645), were announced by the Bangladesh Minister of Labour on behalf of the Coordination Committee (CC) at a ceremony in Dhaka, Tuesday. The ILO is neutral chair of the multi-stakeholder CC.

“More donations to the Rana Plaza Trust Fund are needed to reach the US$40 million target and ensure fair treatment for victims and their families, who are struggling to rebuild their lives,” Houngbo added.

All eligible claims are independently assessed and calculated, using ILO Convention No. 121 on employment injury benefits, and Bangladesh law, as guidance for decisions on each individual case.

ILO DDG mission to Dhaka


Gilbert Houngbo is in Dhaka ahead of the one-year anniversary of the Rana Plaza building collapse on April 24.

He is due to meet with the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Government ministers, employers’ and workers’ organizations, ambassadors and representatives of initiatives involved in improving working conditions in the country’s ready-made garment (RMG) sector.

On Thursday, 24 April, Houngbo will speak at a high-level event – One Year After Rana Plaza: Progress and the Way Forward – organized by the Government of Bangladesh and the ILO.

For more information and to arrange an interview, please contact Adam Bowers on +880173/037-3354 or Abdullah Al Muyid on +880173/068-384.