24 April 2013. A terrible humanitarian disaster happened in Rana Plaza of Savar near Dhaka. The factory, which was illegally set up in an eight-storey commercial building, collapsed. One thousand 134 people were killed. More than two thousand were injured. All of them were garment workers. In this incident, two cases were registered under the Murder and Building Construction Act. None of this has made much progress. Testimony has started in the murder case, but there is a stay order in other cases.
The accused party says that Sohel Rana has been detained in jail without trial as the trial in two cases has not been completed. On the other hand, the state side says that since the defendants went to the High Court with the formulation of the charges, several years passed before the testimony began. The state party hopes that the two cases will be resolved quickly.
About eight years ago, the judicial court set the date for the hearing of the two cases after forming the complaint. About five and a half years after the charges were filed, the testimony of the murder case began.
On the other hand, the Building Construction Act case filed in the same incident has been stayed by the order of the High Court. As the case was suspended, the testimony did not start even eight years after the complaint was made.
According to court sources, eight accused went to the High Court challenging the validity of the complaint in the murder case. Seven of them had their appeals settled. Another defendant in the case, the former Commissioner of Ward No. 7 of Savar Municipality, Haji Mohammad Ali, has suspended the judicial proceedings of the case. The testimony of the then Sub-Inspector (SI) of Savar Police Station, Wali Ashraf, began on January 31, 2022 in the case against the other accused.
According to the related sources, out of 594 witnesses in the case, 83 witnesses have completed their testimony. The testimony of 84 people is currently ongoing. The latest date for hearing the case was on April 21 this year. Four people testified in court that day. The interrogation of three of the four has been completed but the interrogation of one has not been completed. The court fixed April 28 as a new date for the next hearing of the case.
On the other hand, some defendants filed a revision application in the District and Sessions Judge’s Court in the case of Building Construction Act. Among them, the chairman of Phantom Apparels Limited, Muhammad Aminul Islam, was acquitted by the court from the case. Besides, another defendant in the case, the former mayor of Savar municipality. On November 7, 2021, the High Court ordered a stay of judicial proceedings in the case for one year on behalf of Refatullah. As the judicial proceedings of the case were suspended in the High Court, the state side could not start taking evidence even after six years of filing the complaint.
Regarding the murder case, Bimal Samaddar, counsel for the state in the Dhaka District and Sessions Judge’s Court, told Jago News that after filing the complaint, the eight accused went to the High Court and applied for stay of the case. Seven of them have had their appeals settled. The judicial proceedings of the case are still suspended on behalf of Haji Muhammad Ali, the former commissioner of Ward No. 7 of Savar Municipality, the accused in the case. The hearing of the case against the other accused began on January 31, 2022. Of the 594 witnesses in the case, 84 have completed their statements. We are earnestly trying to dispose of the said case expeditiously. Hope the judicial process of the case can be completed soon.
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In relation to the Building Construction Act case, state lawyer Anwarul Kabir Babul said that some defendants challenged the validity of the complaint and filed a revision application. Among them, the court rejected the revision application of New Web Bottoms Limited Managing Director Bajlus Samad and former assistant engineer Mahbubur Rahman. On the other hand, Chairman of Phantom Apparels Limited, Muhammad Aminul Islam, was dismissed after allowing the revision. The accused in this case is the former mayor of Savar municipality. On November 7, 2021, the High Court ordered a stay of judicial proceedings in the case for one year on behalf of Refatullah. Then in 2023, Judge Habibur Rahman of the District and Sessions Judge Court took the case to his court by his own authority to testify the building construction case along with the Jinnah assassination case. As the judicial proceedings of the case were adjourned in the High Court, the taking of evidence could not be started. Besides, no new date has been set for taking testimony.
Farooq Ahmed, a lawyer for the accused, told Jago News that charges were filed eight years ago in two cases under the Rana Plaza collapse, murder and two cases under the Building Construction Act. Some of the accused filed writs in the High Court challenging the validity of the case. After nearly seven and a half years of framing of charges, testimony in the murder case has begun. In the Building Construction Act case, testimony did not begin due to a stay order on behalf of one of the defendants. Accused Sohel Rana cannot be released from prison as the trial of both the cases is not over. In my opinion the accused Sohail Rana is unjustly detained in jail.
Garment worker murder case
On April 24, 2013, the Rana Plaza building in Savar collapsed around 9 am. Five and a half thousand garment workers were buried under it. One thousand 136 dead bodies were recovered in that incident. About two thousand workers were injured and crippled. Two thousand 438 people were rescued alive from under the rubble.
In that incident, Sub-Inspector (SI) of Savar police station Wali Ashraf filed a case of ‘negligent and defective murder’ in the construction of the building.
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On April 26, 2015, CID Assistant Superintendent of Police Vijaykrishna filed a charge sheet against 41 people including Kar Bhavan owner Sohel Rana. 594 people were witnesses in the case. Among the 41 accused in the case, Abdul Khalek, father of building owner Sohail Rana, Abu Bakr Siddique and Abul Hossain died. Excluding three people, the number of accused in the murder case is now 38.
On July 18, 2016, Dhaka District and Sessions Judge SM Quddus Zaman framed charges against the accused. On January 31, 2022, the then Sub-Inspector (SI) of Savar Police Station, Wali Ashraf, testified in the court. The testimony of 84 people has been completed. The next hearing in the case is scheduled for April 28.
Case under Building Construction Act
In the same incident, Rajuk’s responsible officer Md. Helal Uddin filed another case at Savar police station that day. On April 26, 2015, CID Assistant Superintendent of Police Vijaykrishna filed a charge sheet in court accusing 18 people including the owner of Kar Bhavan, Sohel Rana. 130 people were witnesses in the case.
On June 14, 2016, Chief Judicial Magistrate of Dhaka Mostafizur Rahman framed charges against the accused. Not a single person has testified since the charges were framed.
The notable accused in the two cases are – Sohail Rana, owner of Rana Plaza, his mother Morjina Begum, former commissioner of Ward No. 7 of Savar Municipality Haji Muhammad Ali, Khulna University Assistant Professor (Architecture Discipline) ATM Masood Reza, engineer Sajjad Hossain, former mayor of Savar Municipality. Md. Refatullah, former chief executive officer of Savar municipality Uttam Kumar Roy, executive engineer Rafiqul Islam, former assistant engineer Mahbubur Rahman, former deputy assistant engineer Rakibul Hasan Russell, former town planner of Savar municipality Farzana Islam, license inspector Md. Abdul Mottalib, former secretary of the municipality Morjina Khan, former secretary Md. Abul Bashar, Chairman of Phantom Apparels Limited, Muhammad Aminul Islam, MD of New Web Bottoms Limited, Bajlus Samad and Chairman of Ether Tex Limited. Anisur Rahman.
Three years imprisonment runner
Meanwhile, Rana, who fled after the building collapse, was arrested from Jessore a few days later. Since then he is in jail. Several cases were filed against Rana after his arrest. The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed a case for non-filing of asset accounts.
Judge KM Imrul Kayes of Dhaka Special Judge Court-6 sentenced Sohail Rana to three years imprisonment in that case on August 29, 2017. At the same time he was fined 50,000 taka, in default of payment he was sentenced to another three months imprisonment.
JA/MHR/ASM
