Rana Plaza Collapse Case on Unauthorised Building in Savar: Arguments Set for December 10

A court has postponed the hearing for arguments against eight accused, including building owner Sohel Rana, in the Anti-Corruption Commission case over unauthorised construction in the Rana Plaza collapse in Savar, setting the new date for December 10.

Judge B. M. Tariqul Kabir of the Dhaka Divisional Special Judge Court set the date on Wednesday (October 28).

ACC lawyer Istiaq Ahmed of the court concerned confirmed the information. He said arguments in the case had been scheduled for that day, but the judge was busy with proceedings in another case, so the hearing date was moved to December 10.

Earlier, on September 1, the same court, without announcing a verdict, on its own initiative withdrew the case from the verdict stage and ordered arguments to be presented.

Apart from Sohel Rana, the other accused are former Savar municipality mayor Refat Ullah, former chief executive officer Uttam Kumar Roy, executive engineer Rafiqul Islam, former assistant engineer Mahbubur Rahman, former sub-assistant engineer Rakibul Hasan Russell, former town planner Farzana Islam and licence inspector Md. Abdul Mottalib.

Among the accused, Sohel Rana is on bail in this case but is in jail in a murder case, and he was produced before the court from jail that day. Mahbubur Rahman and Farzana Islam have been absconding from the start. The other accused are on bail and appeared in court that day.

During the trial, Sohel Rana's father Abdul Khaleque and mother Morzina Khatun Begum died. They have been discharged from the case.

According to the case allegations, 1,136 people were killed and more than 1,500 injured when Rana Plaza, adjacent to the Savar bus stand, collapsed on April 24, 2013. After the incident, the ACC began investigating allegations of corruption in the building's construction.

On June 15, 2014, ACC deputy assistant director S. M. Mofidul Islam filed a case with Savar Police Station against 17 people over unauthorised building construction. As the building was in Sohel Rana's father's name, the case was initially filed against 17 people including his parents, excluding Sohel Rana. The charge sheet included him after the investigation mentioned evidence of his role in looking after the building.

The charge sheet said Savar municipality approved the design on April 10, 2006 to build a six-storey shopping complex named Rana Plaza. On January 22, 2008, approval was sought to build four more storeys on the building. Although the building was supposed to be built as a shopping complex, permission was later given to set up five garment factories there.

On May 21, 2017, the court framed charges against 10 accused and ordered the trial to begin. At that time, eight people were discharged. During the trial, 19 out of 20 witnesses testified.

After the Rana Plaza collapse on April 24, 2013, 2,438 people were rescued alive from the rubble. Among the recovered bodies, 844 were handed over to relatives. Keeping DNA samples, 291 unidentified bodies were buried at Jurain graveyard. Among those rescued alive, 1,524 were injured, of whom 78 were seriously injured and became disabled.

Sohel Rana was arrested by RAB from Benapole on April 29, 2013 while fleeing to India after the incident. He has been in jail since then.