Bangladesh garment industry leader guardedly welcomes Benetton's pledge for factory victims

A Bangladeshi garment industry leader has guardedly welcomed Italian retailer Benetton's pledge of more than $1 million for victims of a factory collapse that killed over 1,100 people two years ago, saying it had come late but was appreciated.

Shahidullah Azim, a vice president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, said Saturday the pledge would help the U.N.-sponsored fund reach its commitment to provide $30 million to survivors of the collapse of the Rana Plaza factory complex — Bangladesh's worst industrial disaster.

The Benetton Group announced Friday that it would provide $1.1 million for compensation to the survivors of the collapse. The retail giant was among 29 brands connected to the factories housed at the complex.

Rana Plaza collapsed April 24, 2013, killing 1,127 people and injuring 2,500.