LOVEDESH RANA PLAZA VICTIMS
OPEN LETTER RE PRE-ACTION PROTOCOL
PUBLISHED 23 APRIL 2023 – EVE OF THE RANA PLAZA DISASTER
Press: ranaplazavictims@lovedesh.com
Sir/Madam,
Re Pre-Action Protocol Legal Notice
This letter has been drafted by myself. Miss Yasmin A. Choudhury (Happy). CEO of registered British company Lovedesh (07908945). And joint claimant Mrs Mst. Moriom Akter Shanchita, a former Rana Plaza victim. Who is lead representative of the LRPVG.
We are acting on behalf of 20+ members and beneficiaries of the “The Lovedesh Rana Plaza Victims Group” (LRPVG). Which was convened in 2019. Their page can be found here.
I hereby issue a second formal pre-action legal notice to Miss Nazma Akhter of Awaj Foundation, Masrur Rahman, of Fashion Revolution Bangladesh. And Bablur Rahman, Country Manager of Fair Wear in Bangladesh.
Including all and any secondary parties. Listed above. Which are also, organisation(s) our clients – The Lovedesh Rana Plaza Victims Group (LRPVG), are in dispute with. These include Laudes Foundation. Red Carpet Green Dress. Remake Our World. Shimmy’s Technologies and more.
This is a formal cease and desist order. To prevent all parties from being involved or mentioning the 10th anniversary regarding the Rana Plaza tragedy. And to expose what each of you did and have done to victims of Rana Plaza.
Furthermore. Our clients are seeking compensation in excess of £36 million+. For fraud. And for damage, personal injury and distress that has caused further deprivation to my clients. By the actions of the lead defendants.
Due to the exceptional emergency on the occasion of the approaching 10th anniversary of The Rana Plaza factory collapse on 24th April 2023. We seek an urgent resolution. To this dispute. Privately. We attach and present a pre-court action proposal.
Should this offer be rejected. We will then seek remedy via the Supreme Court of Bangladesh. And file a class action petition. After 24 April 2023.
I have appointed a lawyer in Bangladesh. To represent Lovedesh and the Rana Plaza Victims Group, in a criminal and civil class action suit. Regarding the infringement of their humanitarian and moral rights. And complicity in fraud. Cover ups. Causing personal injury, distress to me and our clients. First, we will sue in Bangladesh, later in each of the host nations where defendants are based – e.g., UK, Switzerland and EU.
What is the nature of the dispute?
We possess evidence Ms Nazma Akther of Awaj Foundation and Fashion Revolution are “fraudsters”. Who have exploited Rana Plaza collapse for their own personal gain. And that Fair Wear Foundation as well as secondary defendants have all helped to endorse the former. Together, the LRPVG believe they have hijacked the trauma and tragedy of our clients, the Rana Plaza victims to benefit themselves. As well as many elite, powerful, rich individuals who work for foreign organisations and charities. Either they aided and abetted. Or benefited. Financially. Or via non tangible assets.
Furthermore. Both Ms Nazma Akther of Awaj Foundation and Fashion Revolution misled the global public. And became self-appointed speakers on the Rana Plaza collapse.
They further refused to platform Rana Plaza victims or assist them when Miss Yasmin contacted them. Erased their voices. And erased their right to speak at events and campaigns. Which were undertaken without their express permission. Survivors were never invited to any of their events.
You, who are not the victims or the dead of Rana Plaza, have earned in excess of million pounds of income – donated or funded. Or established your brand, products or organisation by relying on this tragedy. Yet every member of LRPVG remained penniless. Hungry. And starving.
You have all claimed to care about sustainable and sweatshop free fashion. When we possess evidence to the contrary. And when each of you, or nominated representative/agent/partners were written or contacted privately by me, to put right the wrong done. You did not choose to do so.
Now the LRPVG want answers. That go as far back as April 24th, 2013. The date of their trauma. Tragedy. Sickness. And death.
Our Pre-Action Protocol Offer
We now ask each of you to agree, to settle this dispute within seven days. And have proposed terms listed below. Our offer expires on Monday 1 May, 2023 at 00:00 Bangladesh time. After which, I and my legal team of experts are prepared to file a civil and criminal legal suit in the Supreme Court of Bangladesh.
Recently for 1.6 billion+ Muslims, it was the month of Ramadan. The LRPVG wish you well. And our requests are very reasonable. They simply seek the following outcomes. So that you can ALL put right the wrong done. And they want to make clear they are very happy to forgive each of you, upon to you being open, to discussing the terms on offer, listed below.
- We ask each of you to pay damages, as we seek a total sum in excess of £36 million+ from all of you. To cover medical expenses. Injury and distress done. These costs will be used to fund the following, which are projects being led and founded by Miss Yasmin of Lovedesh:
- The 1136 Fund. Sums granted to members of the Lovedesh Rana Plaza Victims Fund to re-boost their lives. Provide medical expenses. And to mentor and re-train them into sustainable livelihoods.
- The RIP Fund. My clients will use funds to resume the search of dead bodies that remain missing from the Rana Plaza collapse. Starting with Miss Moriom’s dead teenage sister Shameli. And will further fund more searches for dead bodies via the launch of an ethical and natural skin and beauty brand called “Shameli”.
- Memorial Invitation. You are invited to attend a Rana Plaza Memorial on the 11th anniversary at Savar, Dhaka immediately, on 24 April 2024. This is a ticketed event. To help place flowers and light candles for the dead. Which will be hosted by Lovedesh and members of the LRPVG. A press conference will follow the next day. We ask you to join us. And participate.
- Memorial Garden. Miss Yasmin is seeking to request the Bangladeshi Government and former owner of Rana Plaza building for the now derelict area to be transformed into a peaceful memorial. We seek you to help us lobby for this wonderful idea to remember the dead, who died for fashion.
- #IRemember1136 World Memorial Fashion Tour From May 2023. Lovedesh will be seeking to kickstart a world tour for Rana Plaza victims which will be a ticketed event. To ensure their voices are heard and to showcase innovation in sweatshop free fashion. And they meet with media and consumers. These events will be held in Rome – Italy, Dubai – UAE, Tokyo – Japan, Mumbai – India, London – UK, Los Angeles – USA. Geneva – Switzerland and Brussels, Belgium.
- Luxury Outlet. Lovedesh will open a multi storey retail outlet in Bond Street, London W1, UK. And Miss Yasmin will be bringing Rana Plaza victims to be trained to work as temporary sales assistants. And to showcase pioneering sustainable food, fashion and travel. Created to protect people and planet as well as boost income and create jobs in the UK and across the developing world.
- Popp Magazine, A luxury magazine to showcase sustainable fashion, food and travel. Employing vulnerable communities across the world, from jobless transgender people in Bangladesh. To war refugees and working-class adults.
- Lovedesh will seek to establish an office in Sylhet Bangladesh and Savar, Dhaka. We invite you to join in this effort. So that the victims are empowered with their own voices.
- A personal apology to each of the members of the LRPVG – they wish for this to be at a face-to-face meeting privately in Bangladesh to occur after 24 April 2023. In Dhaka, Bangladesh.
- Financial Transparency. Independent verified accounts of all donations and benefits in kind (financial and non-financial) received since 24 April 2013 which were in directly or indirectly linked to Rana Plaza victims or Nazma Akhter of Awaj Foundation. As my clients wish to peruse this information. For quantum purposes. If a financial settlement is reached to the satisfaction of my clients – they are happy to remove this condition as part of a settlement.
- Change voice. To assist and support Rana Plaza Victims to reclaim their voices. And control their own narrative. Miss Nazma as well as the organisations listed, must never be allowed to speak on or behalf of Rana Plaza victims.
- Erase “Fashion Revolution Week”. Rana Plaza victims no longer wish this phrase to be associated with their tragedy nor during and in the week the tragedy occurred. All promotional events and marketing online or offline must cease.
- No More Rana Plaza Events. No event can take place before, in the run up or after the Rana Plaza anniversary. All any and events will be handled by victims or their relevant appointed grassroots organisations. Such as Lovedesh.
- “Poverty Porn”. We request you and others across the world to cease all mention of Rana Plaza and or showing victims faces. In any marketing or promotional item – be it online via social media. Or offline.
- We now invite each of you to join Lovedesh’s honorary advisory panel to support Miss Yasmin’s plans to combat sweatshops. And to help Rana Plaza victims. You are welcome to nominate a member of your staff.
Should all of the above conditions be amenable to you. We will cease court proceedings. And swiftly take steps to confer a meeting in Dhaka. With you and your legal representatives. If we reach a settlement, we will keep this a closed private matter. And to look ahead.
Miss Yasmin and Mrs Moriom have also further issued a public video appeal – to confirm the Rana Plaza victims have no desire to take this matter to a Bangladeshi court. They wish to resolve all of this in private.
I attach the link here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuqjExdFiK4&feature=youtu.be
As the stress and trauma on the LRPVG members, many of whom are poverty stricken, jobless, disabled will be extreme. Many are also widow/ers. Or disabled. Destitute. And because the 10th anniversary coincided with Eid-al-Fitr – a major Islamic religious festival that concludes the Holy Month Of Ramadan, fasting from sunrise to sunset when they are nil by mouth – while this day was enjoyed by over 1.6 billion+ Muslims across the world. The Rana Plaza victims began to mourn the dead and injured.
Future Court Action
Should this opportunity be declined then, our legal team in Bangladesh reserve the right to seek remedy via the Supreme Court in Dhaka. We will also instruct our lawyers to assist in helping us report all organisations listed in this letter for misleading the public, fraud, embezzlement and injury and distress to Rana Plaza victims of Bangladesh. All of which are crimes in Bangladesh. We will also overturn every piece of evidence we possess, to the relevant authorities. We are also due to host a global press conference in Savar, Dhaka after 24 April 2023 – the 10th anniversary of the Rana Plaza collapse. With the victims.
Our lawyers will also seek to apply for an injunction to prevent all foreign organisations outside of Bangladesh, from collecting any donations or benefits from partner organisations, sponsors and donors. As well as seeking an injunction to halt any media or charity or activity being held before or after “Fashion Revolution week”. And we will pursue you robustly through the legal system in Bangladesh. In UK and every other nation.
Public Notice
As this is also a public interest matter.
It is my client’s duty to whistle blow. And to report wrongdoing. Undertaken against one of the world’s most vulnerable community. Poverty stricken Bangladeshi former garment workers. Who are victims. The dead, sick, injured and disabled victims of 2013 Rana Plaza factory collapse in Bangladesh. In which 1,136 were killed. And over 2,000 injured.
We therefore regret to inform you a copy of this formal notice is also being sent to all and any other donors or partner organisations of yours. By my clients.
As well as posted on the Lovedesh website. This is being done in advance to prevent any event preparations or charity campaigns related on the eve of the 10th anniversary of the Rana Plaza collapse. In order to inform and assist the general public and media. Of the dispute Lovedesh and Rana Plaza victims have, with Awaj Foundation and Fashion Revolution. As well as some of the world’s biggest fashion campaigning charities and organisations.
I look forward to resolving this matter urgently.
Yours Sincerely,
Yasmin A Choudhury (Happy).
CEO of Lovedesh.
