Rana Plaza Collapse: HC grants bail to prime accused Rana

The High Court (HC) on Thursday granted bail to Sohel Rana , the owner of the ill-fated Rana Plaza that collapsed in 2013 leaving 1,138 RMG workers dead, in a murder case over the deadly incident in Savar, reports UNB.

The HC bench of justice Md Akram Hossain Chowdhury and justice Shahid Noor passed the order after hearing a bail petition.

After the order, there is no legal barrier to walk out of jail for accused Rana, said lawyer Kamrul Islam, one of the defendant counsels.

Earlier on 1 March last year, the HC issued a rule asking the authorities concerned to explain as to why he would not be granted bail in the case.

On 24 April, 2013, Rana Plaza, an illegally-constructed building in Savar which housed five garment factories, came down crashing, killing 1,138 people and injuring over 2,000 others.

Trial in the murder case filed over Rana Plaza collapse began officially on 31 January, 2022 by recording statements of the witnesses.

On 18 July, 2016, Dhaka District and Session Court judge SM Kuddus Zaman framed charges against the accused and passed an order to begin the trial.

But it got barred as most of the accused appealed to the higher court challenging legality of the order.

On 31 January last year, after clearing the appeals, District and Sessions Court judge AHM Habibur Rahman Bhuiyan recorded the statement of plaintiff, then sub inspector of Savar police station Wali Ashraf.

Over the tragic incident then SI of Savar police station Wali Ashraf filed a murder case accusing the owner and others of dereliction and negligence in building construction.

On 1 June, 2015, assistant superintendent of Crime Investigation Department (CID) of police Bijoy Krishna Kar submitted charge sheet in the case against 41 people including the building owner Sohel Rana.

A total of 594 people were made witnesses in this case.