Image: The Canary

Fire Kills At Least 33 Workers in Bangladesh Factory With Locked Exits

07 April, 2026.Gaza Genocide.3 sources

Key Takeaways

A permanent Palestinian civilian memorial is planned for Newcastle's Peace Garden at the Civic Centre.
Stone tribute and olive tree planting for the memorial set for later this year.
The proposal is backed by local councillors and community groups.

Narayanganj Factory Fire

A fire at the Rahman Textile garment factory killed at least 33 workers.

“Newcastle could become the first city in the UK and Europe to install a permanent memorial dedicated to Palestinian civilians, under plans backed by councillors and community groups”

Asian Standard

Emergency exits were found welded shut, trapping employees inside.

BBC

Police detained factory owner Faisal Rahman.

Death toll estimates varied, with Al Jazeera reporting at least 41 fatalities.

The factory produced garments for European brands including Hessen and BrandBox.

Survivor Accounts and Union Response

Survivors recounted horrific scenes as they escaped by jumping from windows.

The Bangladesh Garment Workers' Federation called a nationwide strike.

The Canary

Kalpona Akter declared, This was not an accident. This was corporate murder.

Labour Minister Tahmina Akhter pledged an immediate investigation.

The Ministry of Labour announced 200,000 taka compensation for each family of the deceased.

European Brands Under Fire

Rahman Textile had been audited by Hessen's compliance team in March.

“A new memorial for Palestinian civilians could be added to Newcastle’s Peace Garden following a proposal supported by local councillors and community groups”

The Canary

Clean Clothes Campaign said the audit system is fundamentally broken.

Both Hessen and BrandBox said they were deeply saddened.

The incident exposed the gap between brand commitments and worker realities.