Story

Voices From Rana Plaza, One Year Later

April 25, 2014 | CBC Radio
By
Jason Motlagh

Paki Begum spent two days trapped inside the fallen garment factory complex until volunteer rescuers found her and offered a choice: wait and die, or live without your legs. She chose to live. Image by Jason Motlagh. Bangladesh, 2014.

Rafiqul Islam was laying bricks near Rana Plaza when it fell. He plunged into the rubble, and spent the next three weeks underground. Image by Jason Motlagh. Bangladesh, 2014.

Rashida Begum's teenage daughter Nasima died at Rana Plaza. She often returns to the site to mourn with other relatives. Image by Jason Motlagh. Bangladesh, 2014.

One year after the worst disaster in the history of the garment industry, many of those affected by the Rana Plaza factory collapse in Bangladesh say they're still waiting for compensation. Award winning journalist Jason Motlagh brings Day 6 the stories of three people — a survivor, a grieving mother and a rescuer — whose lives were changed dramatically as a result of the collapse at Rana Plaza.

Listen to the full interview on CBC Radio.

The Ghosts of Rana Plaza

Paki, Rashida and Rafiqul's stories are also featured in The Ghosts of Rana Plaza, a feature Motlagh wrote for the Virginia Quarterly Review. You can read the piece here: The Ghosts of Rana Plaza.