The Rana Plaza building in Savar, Bangladesh, which housed five garment factories, collapsed on 24 April 2013. The compensation scheme set up with the ILO puts the death toll at 1,134. The collapse led to the Accord on Fire and Building Safety and a 30 million dollar compensation fund, while criminal cases against the building's owner and others remain unfinished more than 13 years later.
The murder trial of owner Sohel Rana and 40 others was still at the witness stage in May 2026, with Rana in jail, according to The Business Standard. In a separate Anti-Corruption Commission case over the building's construction, no verdict came on 6 October 2026 and arguments were reset for 28 October, bdnews24.com reported, and the outcome of that hearing could not be found.
Huge cracks appeared in the eight storey Rana Plaza building on Tuesday 23 April, the day before it collapsed, the Associated Press reported. AP said owner Sohel Rana assured tenants, including five garment factories, that the building was safe, citing witnesses.
The Rana Plaza building in Savar collapsed on 24 April 2013. The Rana Plaza Arrangement, the compensation scheme later set up with the ILO, puts the death toll at 1,134. AP reported that a manufacturers' group said the five factories employed 3,122 workers and that three floors had been built illegally.
A case over the deaths was filed with Savar police station the day after the collapse, The Business Standard reported. It later became the murder case against the building's owner and others.
Members of the Rapid Action Battalion detained Sohel Rana at the Benapole crossing as he tried to cross into India, the Associated Press reported, citing junior local government minister Jahangir Kabir Nanak. AP said at least 377 deaths had been confirmed by then.
The army ended its recovery operation and handed the site to local authorities, CNN reported, giving an army death toll of 1,127 and saying 2,438 people had been rescued alive. A woman was pulled out alive after 17 days, CNN reported.
CNNIndustriALL Global Union released the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh with at least 24 garment brands and retailers signed, including H&M, Inditex, C&A, PVH, Tesco, Primark and Next. The Accord says it began as a five year agreement between companies, two global unions and eight Bangladeshi unions.
The Rana Plaza Coordination Committee was established to oversee compensation, according to the Arrangement's own timeline. The ILO and UN News give October 2013 as the founding date, and the ILO says it has chaired the committee since then.
All parties agreed the Rana Plaza Arrangement, a scheme to compensate the families of those killed and the injured, according to its timeline. It was launched publicly on 24 December 2013 with an appeal to brands to pledge donations.
The Rana Plaza Donors Trust Fund was launched with the ILO as trustee, the Arrangement's timeline says.
The claims administration opened on 10 March 2014 and the first dependants submitted claims on 24 March, according to the Arrangement. On 22 April 2014 the committee approved an advance payment of 50,000 taka to each eligible beneficiary.
The claims process closed with 2,798 claims submitted, the Arrangement says. All 2,798 beneficiaries were paid 40 percent of what they were owed in December 2014.
The police Criminal Investigation Department filed a charge sheet against 41 people including Sohel Rana in the murder case, The Business Standard and Views Bangladesh reported. Views Bangladesh said a charge sheet against 18 people was filed the same day in a separate Building Construction Act case brought by the capital development authority RAJUK.
The Rana Plaza Coordination Committee, chaired by the ILO, announced on 8 June 2015 that it had gathered the roughly 30 million dollars needed for full payment of awards, the ILO said. By April 2015 more than 27 million dollars had been raised and 70 percent of awards paid.
The final payment round in October 2015 brought the total paid to more than 30 million dollars across 5,109 beneficiaries, according to the Arrangement's timeline. Its claims office closed after a compliance audit on 7 February 2016.
The Chief Judicial Magistrate framed charges in the Building Construction Act case and ordered the trial to begin, Views Bangladesh reported.
A Dhaka court framed charges in the murder case and ordered the trial of Sohel Rana and 40 others to begin, The Business Standard and Views Bangladesh reported.
A Trust for Injured Workers' Medical Care was established with government, employers' federation and trade union trustees, according to the Arrangement.
A Dhaka special court sentenced Sohel Rana to three years in prison and a fine of 50,000 taka for failing to submit a wealth statement to the Anti-Corruption Commission, The Daily Star reported. AP reported that his defence said he would appeal.
More than 190 brands and retailers signed a three year Transition Accord in 2018 that committed to hand implementation to a national body, according to the International Accord.
The RMG Sustainability Council, a national tripartite body, was established in June 2020 to take over Accord work in Bangladesh, the International Accord says.
The International Accord for Health and Safety in the Textile and Garment Industry was established in 2021 and gained more than 175 company signatories in its first year, according to the Accord.
The High Court stayed proceedings in the Building Construction Act case at the request of one accused, Views Bangladesh reported. Testimony in that case had not begun as of April 2025.
The murder trial resumed after being stalled for nearly six years by a High Court order, Views Bangladesh reported.
A High Court bench granted Sohel Rana bail in the murder case, Prothom Alo reported.
A chamber judge of the Appellate Division stayed the High Court's bail order until 8 May 2023 on a state petition, United News of Bangladesh reported.
A renewed International Accord took effect on 1 November 2023 with a three year term and automatic renewal, and the Bangladesh Safety Agreement between brands and unions was negotiated that month, according to the Accord.
The Appellate Division upheld the suspension of Sohel Rana's bail and ordered the murder case resolved within six months, Views Bangladesh reported.
Twelve years after the collapse, 167 of 594 listed witnesses had testified in the murder trial, Sohel Rana remained the only accused in custody and three accused had died, Views Bangladesh reported.
The murder case was transferred to the 8th Additional District Judge's Court in Dhaka, The Business Standard reported.
The Business Standard reported that 150 of 594 witnesses had been examined, Sohel Rana was in jail, 25 accused were on High Court bail, 13 were absconding and two had died. It said investigating officers were summoned to appear on 21 June.
Instead of delivering its verdict, a Dhaka divisional special judge returned the Anti-Corruption Commission case over the building's construction, against Sohel Rana and seven others, from the verdict stage to arguments, the Dhaka Tribune and Prothom Alo reported. The Daily Observer reported that 6 October 2026 was set as the new verdict date.
The hearing in the construction corruption case did not go ahead because the judge was on leave, and an acting judge set 28 October 2026 for arguments, bdnews24.com reported. No verdict was delivered.
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Dhaka Tribune · dhakatribune.comLast updated 1 November 2026. Spotted an error? See corrections. Every event links to the record it comes from. Allegations are attributed to whoever made them.