12th anniv of Rana Plaza collapse: Trial of killing over 1,000 workers lingers

Twelve years have passed since the Rana Plaza building collapse in Savar, on the outskirts of Dhaka, which claimed the lives of over 1,000 readymade garment factory workers. However, in the murder cases filed over the incident, only 93 out of 594 witnesses have given testimony to date.

Today, Thursday, marks the 12th anniversary of the Rana Plaza tragedy. When asked about a possible timeline for the conclusion of the trial, Md Iqbal Hossain, Chief Public Prosecutor (PP) of the Dhaka District Judge Court, was unable to provide any specific information.

Masuda Khatun, a survivor of the Rana Plaza collapse, expressed her frustration over the prolonged delay in justice.

Speaking to Prothom Alo on Tuesday night, she said, “We have spent 12 years hoping for justice, but it has not been served. Those responsible for the deaths of so many workers have not been punished.”

PP Iqbal Hossain stated to Prothom Alo that the state has consistently pursued an expedited resolution of the murder case related to the Rana Plaza collapse.

According to him, due to the large number of casualties, it is necessary to present key witnesses before the court in order to substantiate the charges.

The collapse of the Rana Plaza building on 24 April 2013 resulted in the deaths of 1,135 people while 1,169 others sustained serious injuries, many of whom were left permanently disabled, the case documents said.

A total of 20 cases were filed in connection with the incident.

Of these, three are criminal cases. The police filed a murder case against Sohel Rana, the owner of Rana Plaza and others over the deaths of the workers. The Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK) filed a case for violations of building construction laws, while the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed another case concerning corruption in the construction of the building.

The murder case is currently under trial at the Dhaka District Judge Court, while the proceedings of other two cases are being run in courts in Dhaka.

Regarding the delay in recording the testimonies of witnesses, Additional Public Prosecutor of the Dhaka District and Sessions Judge Court, Abul Kalam Khan, informed Prothom Alo that following their appointment as PP by the interim government, all necessary measures were initiated to expedite the trial. Several witnesses have since provided testimony before the court.

An examination of the case documents reveals that the investigation into the murder case related to the Rana Plaza collapse took two years to complete. Further delays were caused by the failure to obtain authorisation to include six government officials as accused in the charge sheet.

At that time, the Ministry of Public Administration and the Ministry of Labour maintained that those not directly responsible for major offences should not be included in the charge sheet.

Nevertheless, the CID submitted the charge sheet in 2016, naming the six government officials as accused without obtaining the required approval. A year later, the court issued an order for the framing of charges.

But seven of the accused challenged this order in the High Court, which resulted in a stay on the proceedings. As a consequence, recording testimonies of the witnesses were suspended for five years.

Following the withdrawal of the stay order for six of the accused, the court resumed recording witness statements on 31 January 2022.

Due to the deaths of three individuals named in the charge sheet, they have been discharged from the case. At present, there are 38 remaining accused, among whom only Sohel Rana, the owner of the Rana Plaza building, remains in custody.

On 26 April 2015, CID submitted a charge sheet against 18 individuals, including Sohel Rana, over allegations of faulty construction and the use of substandard materials in the construction of Rana Plaza.

The following year, on 14 June 2016, the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) court in Dhaka ordered the commencement of the trial. However, several of the accused subsequently challenged the order in the High Court.

Additional Public Prosecutor Abul Kalam Khan informed Prothom Alo that the trial proceedings, including the recording of witness testimonies, are currently suspended due to a stay order issued by the High Court.

In addition, the corruption case relating to the construction of the building is presently under trial at the Dhaka Divisional Special Judge Court. The process of recording witness testimonies in this case is at its final stage.

Commenting on the slow pace of judicial proceedings, labour leader Kalpana Akhter told Prothom Alo on Tuesday night that the prosecution possesses sufficient evidence against Sohel Rana and others in the case involving the deaths of over a thousand workers at Rana Plaza.

However, she remarked that due to a lack of commitment on the part of the previous government, the trial has yet to reach a conclusion, even after a decade.

Kalpana Akhter further stated that had Sohel Rana and others received exemplary punishment for their roles in the Rana Plaza collapse, other garment factory owners might have been deterred. They would have been compelled to place greater value on workers’ lives.

She expressed hope that the current interim government will take initiative to conclude the trial and ensure exemplary punishment for those responsible for the tragic loss of lives.

* The report, originally published in the print and online edition of Prothom Alo, has been rewritten in English by Nuzhat Tabassum Tithi