The sister of Nowshad Hasan Himu, 27, said he was “deeply affected” by the tragedy that claimed the lives of more than 1,100 people six years ago. Himu was the son of Sarder Abul Hossain, of Babor village Patuakhali district in Barishal.
Himu was also an active member of left-leaning Bangladesh Chhatra Federation and Ganosamhati Andolon.
Former Chhatra Federation chief Saikat Mallik said that the man set himself on fire around 9:30pm on the sixth anniversary of the tragedy.
He was taken to Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital where doctors pronounced him dead, said Azgar Ali, sub-inspector of Savar Model Police Station.
His body has been handed over to his family after an autopsy, police said.
The 2013 Rana Plaza collapse put the spotlight on the poor working conditions at factories in Bangladesh, the second-largest exporter of RMG products. It took place several months after a fire killed over a hundred workers at another factory.
The government has since been working to improve the situation in the sector, which earns most of its foreign currencies.