Bangladesh today observed the first anniversary of its worst industrial disaster in which 1135 garment factory workers died, as the building housing 5 factories, collapsed in Savar, Dhaka, last year. Several seminars, discussions and debates on reforming the garment sector for better worker safety and workers' rights, are being organised by civil society think-tanks, rights groups and newspaper offices in the capital, besides a memorial for the dead at Rana Plaza site. Talking to reporters, Labour Secretary Mikail Shipar said, the government has spent 23.55 crore takas for the victims from the Prime Minister's Relief Fund. ILO (Bangladesh) Chief, Srinivasa Reddy informed reporters that the relationship between factory management and workers has improved tremendously since the tragedy with changes in labour law to safeguard labour rights, hike in minimum wages by 77 percent, registration of record 134 trade unions, and the ongoing inspection of factories for building integrity and fire safety. Funds are being collected from 29 foreign retailers housed in the building to make up the 40 million dollars' ILO managed Fund to give long-term relief and rehabilitation to the victims. So far, 16 million dollars have been collected, out of which each victim has been disbursed an initial 50,000 takas. Around 4000 factories employing around 4 million workers earn over 26 billion dollars foreign exchange for the country