POLITICAL ECONOMY OF INDUSTRIAL DISASTER IN RMG SECTOR: A SOCIOLOGICAL STUDY OF RANA PLAZA COLLAPSE

This paper aims to analyze the Rana Plaza tragedy as a social phenomenon through a sociological lens from a local and global political economy perspective. It looks beyond the occurrence of the accident. The paper argues that Rana Plaza tragedy is inherent in the global economic system (e.g. uneven economic relationship between core and peripheral state) and the deindustrialization of advanced countries and industrialization of the third world. It is related to post-Fordist flexible accumulation. In the post-Fordist era, globalization provides flexibility with respect to labour processes, labour markets, products, and patterns of consumption through the process of the deindustrialization of advanced countries and industrialization of third world countries. The role of peripheral countries in this global economic system is also accountable for such industrial accidents. The study shows that the pattern of relationship among the various social groups (e.g. patron-client relationship among businessmen, politicians and muscleman), the interaction among different social institutions (e.g. whose responsibility is to ensure the safety of the building and security of working environment) and the nexus between corruption and use of political power is also related to the accident. It further explores a close relationship between the super-exploitation, other oppression of cheap female labour and the ceaseless accumulation and growth.