Twelve years after the collapse of Rana Plaza, which killed more than 1,130 garment workers and injured thousands more, the pursuit of justice and safer working conditions remains deeply unfinished. Survivors and families continue to demand accountability, but court cases linked to the disaster have stagnated, with trials moving slowly, accused individuals out on bail, and key proceedings under stay orders. Labour leaders and legal advocates have criticised both the judiciary and the government for what they describe as state indifference, leaving many survivors without adequate restitution and reinforcing the systemic failure to protect workers' rights.

Although the Rana Plaza collapse prompted major reforms, notably the creation of the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh, labour groups now warn that these hard won gains are under threat. Organisations like the Clean Clothes Campaign, Maquila Solidarity Network, and Worker Rights Consortium have raised alarms that factory owner influence within the Ready Made Garment Sustainability Council is undermining independent inspections and enforcement. They allege that dangerous factories remain operational despite repeated violations, export bans are not consistently enforced, and that governance structures are tilted in favour of industry interests rather than worker protection, putting workers at risk once again.

Meanwhile, financial pressures including rising freight costs and looming tariffs on garment exports threaten to strain factory resources further, jeopardising commitments to safety remediation. Labour organisations argue that without independent oversight, stronger enforcement mechanisms, and genuine support for worker rights, the industry risks "backsliding into disaster." Despite acknowledgments from the Accord Secretariat and the RSC that governance challenges exist, critics maintain that meaningful reforms remain elusive and that, twelve years on, the fundamental promise of worker safety and justice after Rana Plaza is still far from fulfilled.