Taslima Akhter

  • The life and struggle of Garment workers
  • Dream & Reality
  • Death of A Thousand Dreams
  • Portrais of pain
  • Tazreen Fire
  • The Life & Practice of Lalon Shadhoks (Devotees)

  • Bio
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  • Song of Life
  • Interview by Karen Knorr
© 2011 - 2023

Death of A Thousand Dreams

On that day, early in the morning many garment workers walked into the factories of Rana Plaza, their working place. Within an hour everything was shattered. Nobody knows how many workers were running to save his or her lives at the end moment. Workers’ scream echoed on the walls of Rana Plaza. Many of their voices could not reach out passing through the heavy concrete walls. Over a thousand workers lost their lives in the deathtrap. They are the cheapest labors of the world. They are not only numbers; they are human beings. Who could imagine the collapse that caused the most unacceptable fate for the cheapest labors from Bangladesh?

24th April 2013, 9am. Becoming a brutal incident of history, a nine-story commercial building Rana Plaza collapsed at Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh and left more than 1134 workers dead, more than hundred missing and many other wounded. Around a thousand families have found dead bodies of their beloved family members. Many families moved from police stations to morgues in search of theirs relatives. Many people are still missing. They are even missing in the DNA test list of the unidentified bodies. After 8 months of collapse, street boys have found some bones and skulls in the debris. But the families of missing workers do not know if they would find any trace from those. Still a mother of missing worker waits in front of the collapse site barricade with a hope to find any trace. Horrible memory of 24th April haunts them even in their sleep.

Workers of the Rana Plaza are a part of the 4 million garment workers from Bangladesh; among them 80% are women. They are the cheapest labor in the world and they toil from dawn to dusk for a minimum wage of BDT3000 taka a month (less than 37 $) till 2013. Government declared a new gross minimum wage BDT 5300 (near about $66), which is not sufficient for them to survive.

They represent workers who produce clothes for Europe, America, international markets and international brands. By the tag ‘Made by Bangladesh’ on the products they earn a lot of foreign currency for national economy. With a dream of living a better life, people from villages come to the workers barracks at cities. With the collapse of Rana Plaza all of their dreams have been ruined.

‘Rana Plaza Collapse: Death of a thousand dreams’ is a documentary photo essay, a part of my continuous work. As a witness of history, an activist and as a photographer I have been documenting the lives and struggle of garment workers in Bangladesh since 2008. Rana plaza collapse raises question to national-international owners, brands and government about their role to secure working condition. It also raises question about all citizens and consumers responsibility. With this documentary photo story I have tried to portray the narrative of the death of thousand dreams.

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Rana Plaza Collapse: Death of A Thousand Dreams

Rana Plaza a nine-story commercial building at Savar, Dhaka collapsed on 24th April 2013. More than 1134 garment workers died and several hundreds are missing in the collapse. Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh. 25th April 2013

Rana Plaza Collapse: Death of A Thousand Dreams

Rana Plaza a nine-story commercial building at Savar, Dhaka collapsed on 24th April 2013. More than 1134 garment workers died and several hundreds are missing in the collapse. Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh. 25th April 2013

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Rescuers are trying to save a garment worker after the collapse. Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh. 24th April 2013.

Rana Plaza Collapse: Death of A Thousand Dreams

Siraj Uddin (40) and Majeda Khatun (35), parents of New wave Style factory’s worker Shirin (18), have found their beloved daughters dead body in the morgue after 12 days. Dhaka Medical Collage Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh. 5th May 2013

Rana Plaza Collapse: Death of A Thousand Dreams

Family members of Missing workers from Rana Plaza collapse are waiting for DNA test at Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh. 5th May 2013.

Rana Plaza Collapse: Death of A Thousand Dreams

Asma (25), who was rescued from Rana Plaza, still she wakes up with nightmares. She says she resorted to drinking another worker's urine to avoid dehydration while trapped in the rubble. avar, Dhaka, Bangladesh. 1st June 2013.

Rana Plaza Collapse: Death of A Thousand Dreams:

Missing worker Rina’s (18) Mother still waits for her missing daughter in front of the barricade. Debris of collapse is on the other side of the barricade. Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh. 24th July 2013.

Rana Plaza Collapse: Death of A Thousand Dreams

Rojina (25) lost her hand under the rubble. To save her own self Rojina first started cutting her hand. Rojina and her sister Morjina both were worker . Morjina is missing and. Rojina is alive. Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh.14th June 2013

Rana Plaza Collapse: Death of A Thousand Dreams:

Both of them are named Khadiza and were working at Rana Plaza with their husbands. They lost their husbands in the collapse. They have gone to the graveyard to find one of theirs husband’s grave. Jurain Graveyard, Dhaka, Bangladesh. 7th November 2013.

Rana Plaza Collapse: Death of A Thousand Dreams

Missing worker Shanta (18). After her father had died, she became sole breadwinner of her family, supported her mother and younger brother with her wages from the garment factory. Her mother, Shahida, does not know the name of the factory where she worked and has begun selling their furniture to pay the house rent. Still Shanta's photo is proudly displayed on the wall. Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh. 14th June 2013.

Rana Plaza Collapse: Death of A Thousand Dreams

The grieving family of Anis (26), who died in the Rana Plaza collapse with his wife, Halima (18). Jamalpur District. Bangladesh. 6th June 2013

Rana Plaza Collapse: Death of A Thousand Dreams

Poly Akhter's mother, Shahana (38), grieves for her. Her other daughter, Dalia, also worked in the factory complex but did not go to work on the day of the collapse. Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh. 1st June 2013

Rana Plaza Collapse- Death of 13_A Thousand Dreamsfamily_IIMG_1322PR

Protest against Rana Plaza Collapse.
Relatives of Rana Plaza's workers are demanding justice. Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh. 24th October 2013