The theatre troupe BotTala commemorated the Rana Plaza tragedy at a cultural programme titled ‘Karkhana Keno Bondi Shibir?’
The event, marking the 13th anniversary of the Rana Plaza collapse, was held at the Rayer Bazar Badhya Bhumi Memorial in Dhaka on Friday.
Human rights activist and women’s leader Khushi Kabir, among others, spoke at the event.
The memorial event featured street plays and songs performed by the musical troupes Khepa Baul and Samageet Sangskriti Prangan.
Additionally, theatre troupes Prachyanat and BotTala staged plays depicting the lives of garment workers.
These performances highlighted the poor state of labour rights, showing how laws are routinely violated by factory owners and how the state often stands against the interests of labourers.
Prachyanat staged Sui-Suta, written and directed by Sahana Rahman Sumi. Meanwhile, BotTala performed their acclaimed play Jatugriha, written by Samina Luthfa and directed by Mohammad Ali Haider.
Jatugriha is based on the true events of the Tazreen Fashions fire in Ashulia, where more than 100 workers were killed on November 24, 2012.
On April 24, 2013, Rana Plaza—a multi-storey building housing five garment factories in Savar—collapsed in the blink of an eye, killing over 1,100 workers and injuring more than 2,400.
