Relatives of Rana Plaza victims block highway for 4hrs

Mother of a Rana Plaza victim holds her son’s photograph in her hand as she carries a wreath to place it at a monument in Savar erected in commemoration of all those people who lost their lives. She did not find her son’s body since then. Photo: Star

Meanwhile, workers of different garments and members of various workers’ organisations have thronged Rana Plaza site since 5:00am and placed wreaths at the monument ‘Protibade Protirodhe’ marking the first anniversary of the disaster, reports our Savar correspondent.

The monument was built after the deadliest collapse of Rana Plaza on April 24 that left 1,135 workers dead and thousands injured to honour the victims.

Rana, who is now behind the bar, is blamed for forcing the workers to enter the factories on that day though big cracks appeared in the building.

Around 40,000 members of at least 20 pro-workers organisations and victims’ relatives staged a sit-in in front of Rana Plaza site around 8:00am demanding death sentence to Rana and seeking financial assistance from the government.

Relatives of Rana Plaza victims and garment workers offer munajat on Dhaka-Aricha highway at Savar Thursday morning marking a year of the building's tragedy that took place on April 24, 2013. They block the highway for four hours today. Photo: STAR

Following the agitation, transport movement on 15 kilometres stretching from Nabinagar to Hemayetpur remained halted until they free the highway around noon.

A long tailback was created on the highway following the blockade.

During the demonstration, the agitators were seen singing protest songs and reciting poems on the highway to press home their demand. Several workers also demonstrated on the street wearing shroud.

Gonoshastha Kendra, Dhaka District Police and Bangladesh Textile and Garment Workers Federation organised voluntarily blood donation campaigns at the site to observe the day with befitting manner.

Meanwhile, family members and relatives were seen gathering at Jurain Graveyard in the capital since early morning where the dead victims of Rana Plaza were laid to rest.

They were offering prayers seeking divine blessings for the departed soul of their near and dear ones.