Dhaka

A year ago last week, more than 1,100 factory workers died when the eight-story Rana Plaza building in Dhaka, Bangladesh collapsed into a heap of bricks and fabric bolts. Those investigating the rubble after the tragedy found clothing labels from Western retailers in the ruins of the building, which had been home to a handful of factories operating with varying levels of safety and scrutiny. This time last year, as the death toll continued to climb, Canadian fast-fashion brand Joe Fresh was one of the first to act, sending representatives to Bangladesh to investigate the building's collapse.

When Sarah Labowitz arrived in Bangladesh's capital city of Dhaka this past February, it certainly didn't look like nine months had passed since the factory collapse that claimed 1,129 lives. Outside the ruin of the eight-story Rana Plaza building, the streets remained covered in mountains of twisted metal and rubble. Bright bolts of fabric still sat where they'd landed on April 24, 2013, among the bricks and rags. "Rana Plaza is still overwhelming in the magnitude of its tragedy," said Labowitz this week, having returned from Bangladesh.

By Alain Sherter / MoneyWatch/ May 13, 2013, 3:46 PM A Bangladeshi family member cries as she holds up the portrait of her missing relative, believed to be trapped in the rubble of an eight-storey building collapse in Savar, on the outskirts of Dhaka,...

Walmart and other retailers are facing renewed criticism over their global sourcing practices following another factory disaster in Bangladesh. Reuters is reporting that a block of garment factories and shops collapsed in Savar, 20 miles outside Dhaka,...