Each week, the death toll rises. Yet from the owner of the building, no words of sorrow. No words of condolence. No words of grief from the owner who has since gone into hiding following the collapse of Rana Plaza. And worse yet, no real responsibility taken by companies operating in the building.     

Obligatory statements, investigative reports, but still nobody taking responsibility. Most manufacturers are distancing themselves from the Bangladesh building collapse that has taken over 1,100 lives and counting. 

On April 24, an eight-story garment factory gave in near the capital, leading to the worst garment factory accident in history.

But this wasn’t an accident; it was months – possibly years – in the making. Safety codes were ignored from the onset; the head of the country’s Fire Service and Civil Defense later said the upper four floors were built without a permit. The day before the collapse, concerns were raised over cracks found in the building, and members of a special employment oversight agency urged the owner of the building to shut down until a proper inspection was completed. Yet the next day, labor resumed.  

The involved parties have shied away from any real responsibility. It’s the harsh reality of today’s business but one that reminds us that money is the driving force behind everything.

A few companies have offered to compensate the victims or send representatives to the nation to ensure structural wellness of the clothing factories. Yet with the money-making mentality, the owner will most likely continue to pursue deals and workers will still go to line up for low-paying jobs. Nothing is going to change unless corporations make a statement by pulling out of the country and addressing that the situation in which thousands of people lost their lives was preventable. 

The incident in Bangladesh illustrates the unwillingness to focus on and improve dangerous working conditions that are prevalent worldwide. Rather than reacting to one of history’s deadliest garment factory accidents, companies should have been proactive, at least ensuring or investigating the structural integrity of the building. It’s one thing to willingly exploit labor, and it’s another to be blind to the working conditions that imminently put workers in deadly situations. 

While acknowledging the incident through statements and reports, that is the bare minimum of actions that should be taken. It would take the will of just a single company pulling their labor out of the region to make noise. Or even refusing to invest in the region until changes and improvements are made and enforced. 

Thousands of garment workers walked out and protested after the collapse, hopefully sparking discussion among other manufacturers and urging them to take action before history repeats itself.