Rana Plaza Disaster

In April 2013, the Rana Plaza building in Savar, Bangladesh—a garment factory complex producing clothing for major U.S. retailers including Gap—collapsed due to structural failures and safety violations, killing over 1,100 workers (mostly women) and injuring thousands more. This was the deadliest garment-factory accident in history, exposing the brutal conditions in Bangladesh's $20 billion apparel industry, which supplies cheap labor to American brands. Gap, whose labels were found in the rubble, faced global backlash for outsourcing to unsafe factories to maximize profits. In response, international labor advocates and some European retailers proposed the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh—a legally binding agreement requiring signatories to fund inspections, repairs, and worker safety measures, with accountability for non-compliance. However, U.S. firms like Gap resisted this, fearing higher costs and legal exposure. Instead, Gap and other American retailers hired DLA Piper, the lobbying firm employing unregistered "policy advisers" like former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, retired Senator George Mitchell, and aide Charlie Scheeler. DLA Piper unveiled an alternative "Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety"—a weaker, non-binding plan where companies paid minimal upfront fees for vague upgrades, with no ongoing commitments or liability. Scheeler met with U.S. congressional aides to promote this diluted plan, shielding Gap from stricter regulations. Since Daschle, Mitchell, and Scheeler were not registered lobbyists (exploiting the "Daschle Loophole"), their advocacy on Gap's behalf lacked transparency, allowing U.S. corporate interests to undermine global labor reforms while maintaining exploitative supply chains. This exemplified how American empire-building through economic dominance connivingly prioritizes profit over human rights, using shadow influence to evade oversight and perpetuate neocolonial labor practices in developing nations.