Story highlights Disney pulls out of Bangladesh factories

Bangladesh now is good for investment, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina says

She cites the formation of a committee to improve safety after a horrific building collapse

"The law will take its own course," Hasina says

Bangladesh's prime minister acknowledged Thursday that her nation's garment industry is beset with problems, but said her government is moving rapidly to fix them.

"Bangladesh now is a place for good conditions for the investment," Sheikh Hasina told CNN's Christiane Amanpour eight days after a nine-story building collapsed on the outskirts of Dhaka, killing at least 437 people, most of them garment workers. She said 2,437 survivors were pulled from the rubble, where recovery work was continuing.

"Yes, there are some problems," she said, but added that a committee has been formed to ensure the safety of buildings and workers.

"This committee will submit the findings to the Cabinet committee and, side by side, we have been trying our best to improve the situation."

Hasina expressed little fear that international companies would stop doing business in Bangladesh as a result of the disaster. Investors have tapped into the Bangladeshi market not just because of its high-quality workers, she said. "They get cheap labor," she said. "That's why they come here."

Photos: Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh Photos: Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh Building collapses in Bangladesh – Members of the Bangladesh army pray at the site of the collapsed Rana Plaza in Savar near Dhaka on Tuesday, May 14. The army-led effort to search for bodies has ended nearly three weeks after the nine-story building collapsed. The final death toll stands at 1,127 Hide Caption 1 of 80 Photos: Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh Building collapses in Bangladesh – Relatives of missing garment workers offer prayers in front of the rubble on May 14 in Savar. Hide Caption 2 of 80 Photos: Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh – A white board at the recovery command center near the disaster is used to track the death toll on Monday, May 13. Hide Caption 3 of 80 Photos: Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh Building collapses in Bangladesh – Heavy equipment sifts through the rubble of the garment factory building collapse on Sunday, May 12. Hide Caption 4 of 80 Photos: Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh – A woman cries holds a portrait of a missing relative believed to be trapped in the rubble of the Rana Plaza building on Saturday, May 11. Hide Caption 5 of 80 Photos: Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh Building collapses in Bangladesh – Bangladeshi garment worker Reshma Begum, a seamstress who survived 16 days trapped in the rubble of a collapsed building, rests in Savar Cantonment Hospital on the outskirts of Dhaka on May 11. Hide Caption 6 of 80 Photos: Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh Building collapses in Bangladesh – Relatives search through a long line of covered decomposing bodies to try to identify their family members on May 11. Hide Caption 7 of 80 Photos: Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh Building collapses in Bangladesh – Rescue workers retrieve Reshma from the rubble in Savar, Bangladesh, on Friday, May 10. She got rescue workers' attention by waving an iron rod. She was found in a pool of water, which allowed her to stay alive. Hide Caption 8 of 80 Photos: Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh Building collapses in Bangladesh – An injured worker who survived the building collapse is carried by her husband to collect her wages in Savar near Dhaka, Bangladesh, on Wednesday, May 8. Hide Caption 9 of 80 Photos: Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh Building collapses in Bangladesh – Garment workers who survived the building collapse line up to collect their salaries in Savar on May 8. Hide Caption 10 of 80 Photos: Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh Building collapses in Bangladesh – Workers continue rescue and recovery operations on Tuesday, May 7, nearly two weeks after the Rana Plaza building's collapse outside Dhaka. Hide Caption 11 of 80 Photos: Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh Building collapses in Bangladesh – Rescue workers recover a body from the rubble on May 7. Hide Caption 12 of 80 Photos: Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh Building collapses in Bangladesh – Relatives place a body in the back of a truck on May 7. Hide Caption 13 of 80 Photos: Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh Building collapses in Bangladesh – A woman attempts to identify one of the bodies kept in a schoolyard on May 7. Hide Caption 14 of 80 Photos: Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh Building collapses in Bangladesh – Members of the Bangladeshi army and firefighters carry the body of a garment worker from the scene of the building collapse in Savar, outside Dhaka, on Sunday, May 5. Hide Caption 15 of 80 Photos: Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh Building collapses in Bangladesh – A woman holds a portrait of her missing relative as she sleeps on Saturday, May 4. Hide Caption 16 of 80 Photos: Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh Building collapses in Bangladesh – Relatives attempt to identify the bodies of loved ones on May 4. Hide Caption 17 of 80 Photos: Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh Building collapses in Bangladesh – Rescue workers dig out debris from the Rana Plaza building as Bangladeshi army personnel continue the second phase of a rescue operation using heavy equipment on Friday, May 3. Hide Caption 18 of 80 Photos: Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh Building collapses in Bangladesh – A woman reacts on May 3 after identifying a body found in the rubble. Hide Caption 19 of 80 Photos: Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh Building collapses in Bangladesh – A man stands amid the destruction as rescue and army personnel continue recovery operations on May 3. Hide Caption 20 of 80 Photos: Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh Building collapses in Bangladesh – A woman holds up a picture of a missing person believed to be trapped in the rubble on May 3. Hide Caption 21 of 80 Photos: Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh Building collapses in Bangladesh – A garment worker rescued from the wreckage of the Rana Plaza building lies in a hospital in Dhaka on Thursday, May 2. Hide Caption 22 of 80 Photos: Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh Building collapses in Bangladesh – A woman weeps after identifying her daughter's body in the rubble in Savar on May 2. Hide Caption 23 of 80 Photos: Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh Building collapses in Bangladesh – Rescue workers move debris as Bangladeshi army personnel continue the second phase of a rescue operation at the site of the collapsed building in Savar on May 2. Hide Caption 24 of 80 Photos: Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh Building collapses in Bangladesh – A woman mourns before a mass burial in Dhaka on Wednesday, May 1. Hide Caption 25 of 80 Photos: Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh Building collapses in Bangladesh – Unidentified bodies from the rubble lie on the ground as people gather for a mass burial in Dhaka on May 1. Hide Caption 26 of 80 Photos: Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh Building collapses in Bangladesh – Workers dig graves during a mass burial of unidentified garment workers on May 1. Hide Caption 27 of 80 Photos: Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh Building collapses in Bangladesh – Sohel Rana, owner of the collapsed Rana Plaza building, wears police-issued body armor and a helmet while being escorted to court in Dhaka on Tuesday, April 30. Rana was arrested near the Indian border, and protesters called for him to be hanged. Hide Caption 28 of 80 Photos: Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh Building collapses in Bangladesh – Bangladeshi troops carry the body of a garment worker out of the rubble of the collapsed Rana Plaza building in Savar on April 30. Hide Caption 29 of 80 Photos: Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh Building collapses in Bangladesh – Clothing with Joe Fresh labels lies in the debris on April 30. Hide Caption 30 of 80 Photos: Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh Building collapses in Bangladesh – Cranes operated by Bangladeshi army personnel work on Monday, April 29. Hide Caption 31 of 80 Photos: Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh Building collapses in Bangladesh – Firefighters try to control a blaze that started while they were trying to rescue a woman with heavy equipment on April 29. Hide Caption 32 of 80 Photos: Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh Building collapses in Bangladesh – Bangladeshi army personnel begin the second phase of the rescue operation using heavy equipment on April 29. Hide Caption 33 of 80 Photos: Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh Building collapses in Bangladesh – Rescuers look for survivors on Sunday, April 28. The Bangladesh Red Crescent Society says the chances of finding anyone alive in the rubble at this date are remote. Hide Caption 34 of 80 Photos: Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh Building collapses in Bangladesh – A woman mourns on April 28 at the site of the building collapse in Savar. Hide Caption 35 of 80 Photos: Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh Building collapses in Bangladesh – Rescue workers search for survivors on April 28. Hide Caption 36 of 80 Photos: Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh Building collapses in Bangladesh – Volunteers sleep before they begin more rescue operations on April 28. Hide Caption 37 of 80 Photos: Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh Building collapses in Bangladesh – Rescue workers carry a victim's body recovered from the rubble on April 28. Hide Caption 38 of 80 Photos: Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh Building collapses in Bangladesh – Clothes lie in the rubble on Saturday, April 27. Hide Caption 39 of 80 Photos: Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh Building collapses in Bangladesh – An arrested owner of a garment factory is escorted to an appearance at the court in Dhaka on April 27. Four people were arrested and four others are being questioned by police. Hide Caption 40 of 80 Photos: Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh Building collapses in Bangladesh – Relatives hold photos of missing and dead workers outside the factory April 27. Hide Caption 41 of 80 Photos: Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh Building collapses in Bangladesh – Two Bangladeshi women look at a board with notices posted of missing and dead workers on April 27. Hide Caption 42 of 80 Photos: Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh Building collapses in Bangladesh – Bangladeshi relatives and workers load a body onto a truck on April 27. Hide Caption 43 of 80 Photos: Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh Building collapses in Bangladesh – An excavator operated by the Bangladeshi Army removes debris on April 26. Hide Caption 44 of 80 Photos: Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh Building collapses in Bangladesh – Volunteers and rescue workers conduct rescue operations on April 26. Hide Caption 45 of 80 Photos: Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh Building collapses in Bangladesh – Rescue workers use textile as a slide to move bodies out of the rubble on April 26. Hide Caption 46 of 80 Photos: Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh Building collapses in Bangladesh – Rescue workers look for trapped garment workers on April 26. Hide Caption 47 of 80 Photos: Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh Building collapses in Bangladesh – Rescue workers stand on the rubble of the collapsed building on April 26. Hide Caption 48 of 80 Photos: Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh Building collapses in Bangladesh – Rescue workers search the rubble for victims and survivors on April 26. Hide Caption 49 of 80 Photos: Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh Building collapses in Bangladesh – A rescue worker looks for trapped workers on April 26. Hide Caption 50 of 80 Photos: Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh Building collapses in Bangladesh – Bangladeshi army personnel recover a survivor from rubble on April 26, 48 hours after the collapse. Hide Caption 51 of 80 Photos: Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh Building collapses in Bangladesh – Volunteers and rescue workers assist in rescue operations on April 26. Hide Caption 52 of 80 Photos: Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh Building collapses in Bangladesh – A physician assists a survivor after he was recovered from the rubble on April 26. Hide Caption 53 of 80 Photos: Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh Hide Caption 54 of 80 Photos: Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh Building collapses in Bangladesh – Two bodies clutch each other in the rubble on Thursday, April 25. Hide Caption 55 of 80 Photos: Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh Building collapses in Bangladesh – People rescue garment workers on April 25. Hide Caption 56 of 80 Photos: Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh Building collapses in Bangladesh – A Bangladeshi woman shows a picture of her missing daughter-in-law she believes is trapped in the collapsed building on April 25. Hide Caption 57 of 80 Photos: Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh Building collapses in Bangladesh – Bangladeshi firefighters cut a hole through concrete during rescue operations on April 25 in Savar, a suburb of Dhaka. Hide Caption 58 of 80 Photos: Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh Building collapses in Bangladesh – Volunteers and rescue workers work at the scene on April 25. Hide Caption 59 of 80 Photos: Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh Building collapses in Bangladesh – A woman appears devastated on April 25 after identifying the body of her husband killed in the building collapse. Hide Caption 60 of 80 Photos: Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh Building collapses in Bangladesh – Bangladeshi garment workers help evacuate a survivor by using a roll of fabric on April 24. Hide Caption 61 of 80 Photos: Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh Building collapses in Bangladesh – People rescue garment workers on Wednesday, April 24, after the building caved in, leaving a chaotic mass of broken concrete and twisted metal.

Hide Caption 62 of 80 Photos: Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh Building collapses in Bangladesh – Relatives who lost a brother mourn outside a hospital on April 24. Hide Caption 63 of 80 Photos: Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh Building collapses in Bangladesh – Rescuers help an injured garment worker to escape from the Rana Plaza building on the outskirts of Dhaka on April 24. Hide Caption 64 of 80 Photos: Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh Building collapses in Bangladesh – Civilians help an injured garment worker on April 24. Work was proceeding slowly to avoid causing further collapse, an official said. Hide Caption 65 of 80 Photos: Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh Building collapses in Bangladesh – Rescue workers search for trapped garment workers in the Rana Plaza building on April 24. Hide Caption 66 of 80 Photos: Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh Building collapses in Bangladesh – An injured Bangladeshi lies on the hospital floor on April 24. Hide Caption 67 of 80 Photos: Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh Building collapses in Bangladesh – The injured receive treatment at a hospital on April 24. Hide Caption 68 of 80 Photos: Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh Building collapses in Bangladesh – An injured person rests in a hospital bed on April 24. Hide Caption 69 of 80 Photos: Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh Building collapses in Bangladesh – People wait anxiously on April 24 while rescuers search for survivors. Hide Caption 70 of 80 Photos: Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh Building collapses in Bangladesh – Rescuers help an injured person out of the seventh floor on April 24. Hide Caption 71 of 80 Photos: Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh Building collapses in Bangladesh – Civilians help out in rescue efforts at the collapsed building on April 24. Hide Caption 72 of 80 Photos: Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh Building collapses in Bangladesh – Hundreds watch the rescue operations on April 24. Hide Caption 73 of 80 Photos: Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh Building collapses in Bangladesh – People search for garment workers trapped under the debris on April 24. Hide Caption 74 of 80 Photos: Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh Building collapses in Bangladesh – Rescuers help an injured worker on April 24. Hide Caption 75 of 80 Photos: Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh Building collapses in Bangladesh – A body is trapped under the damaged building on April 24. Hide Caption 76 of 80 Photos: Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh Building collapses in Bangladesh – A woman is carried away from the building on April 24. Hide Caption 77 of 80 Photos: Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh Building collapses in Bangladesh – A rescue worker carries a worker to an ambulance on April 24. Hide Caption 78 of 80 Photos: Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh Building collapses in Bangladesh – Crowds gather around the collapsed building on April 24. Hide Caption 79 of 80 Photos: Photos: Building collapses in Bangladesh Building collapses in Bangladesh – Rescuers bring out an injured garment worker from the building's sixth floor. Hide Caption 80 of 80

JUST WATCHED Denial of 'slave labor' in Bangladesh Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Denial of 'slave labor' in Bangladesh 02:33

JUST WATCHED Calls for action after factory collapse Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Calls for action after factory collapse 02:43

JUST WATCHED Pressure on Bangladesh over labor Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Pressure on Bangladesh over labor 01:22

JUST WATCHED The high cost of cheap clothing Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH The high cost of cheap clothing 01:45

But at least one company has pulled out of Bangladesh, citing a spate of fatal factory accidents.

The Walt Disney Company sent a letter in March to vendors and licensees to transition production out of the "highest-risk countries," such as Bangladesh, in order to bolster safety standards in its supply chain.

Disney will halt production in four other countries: Ecuador, Venezuela, Belarus and Pakistan, by April 2014.

The decision was made before last week's building collapse. It was prompted by the November fire at the Tazreen Fashions Factory in Bangladesh's capital Dhaka that killed 112 people, and another fire in Pakistan that killed 262 garment workers last September.

Asked about reports that only 18 inspectors are responsible for overseeing safety conditions in more than 100,000 garment factories in and around the capital city, Hasina said, "We don't depend on only ... those inspectors."

Steps to improve conditions were taken before the collapse of the building in Rana Plaza in Savar, she said, citing passage by the Cabinet of a labor law that will be sent to Parliament.

Hasina noted that workplace disasters have occurred in the United States, too; she cited last month's explosion of a fertilizer plant in West, Texas, in which 14 people died.

"Anywhere in the world, any accident can take place," she said. "You cannot predict anything."

Amanpour, CNN's chief international correspondent, pointed out that local officials predicted that the building could collapse after cracks appeared on its walls on April 23, and they urged workers not to re-enter it.

"You are very correct," Hasina said. "Unfortunately, in the morning, the owners of the factories put pressure to labor to enter."

She praised government officials for trying to prevent the workers at the five garment factories in the building from re-entering it on April 24, the morning of the collapse. "It is not true that the government hasn't taken any steps," she said.

She blamed the owners of the five factories as well as Sohel Rana, the building's owner, and disputed the suggestion that their political connections could protect them.

Rana is under police investigation in relation to the deaths and has had his assets seized. Protesters have called for him to be hanged.

"The law will take its own course," she said. "Criminal is criminal. They will get all the necessary action; that we can assure you. It is our promise to the people."

Hasina added, "Any business person, if they commit any kind of crime, our government always takes action."

She pointed to the companies that source their products from such factories, saying they should pay well enough that factory owners can pay good salaries and ensure the business is safely run. "They're partly responsible for it," she said.

And she urged that the disaster be considered in context. "You cannot blame the whole business or whole industry just for one incident," she said.

Hasina said officials in her government "are in favor of labor," having increased the minimum wage by 82%, built dormitories and seen to the health care needs of workers.

She denied that the killing last year of a labor leader signified that her government is hostile toward unions. Aminul Islam's body, bearing signs of torture, was found four days after he disappeared in April 2012.

"Nobody knew that he was a labor leader," she said. It was only after his body was found, she said, "that we came to know that he was a labor leader and he was assassinated."

More than a year later, she said, the case remains under investigation.

The interview was carried out via satellite by Amanpour in New York and the prime minister in Dhaka. CNN has been unable to gain visas from the Bangladeshi government that would allow the network to send reporters to cover the country first-hand.

That assertion was corroborated by a CNN executive, but the prime minister disputed it. "It is not true," Hasina said. "We never stop any media to come to Bangladesh."

Asked about restrictions on coverage imposed by the visa office, she said, "Every country has these rules and regulations."

Thursday's interview came as activity resumed at thousands of Bangladeshi textile factories.

Millions of workers in and around the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka, returned to duty after the trade group that represents the garment industry decided it was safe to do so.

This week, a delegation of the International Labour Organization arrived in Dhaka on a four-day visit to Bangladesh.

"Horror and regret must translate into urgent firm action," said Guy Ryder, the organization's director-general. "Action now can prevent further tragedy. Inaction would mean that the next tragedy is simply a matter of time."

The incident has provoked widespread protests, including attacks on some textile facilities the demonstrators said are unsafe.

The garment industry accounts for 77% of Bangladesh's exports -- a $20 billion industry for the nation.