Verdict in a case involving irregularities and corruption in the construction of notorious Rana Plaza building has been deferred. A Dhaka court has set 1 September as the new date for the judgement, as the verdict was not ready for delivery on the previously scheduled day.
Judge BM Tariqul Kabir of the Dhaka Divisional Special Judge’s Court was expected to deliver the verdict on Sunday. However, since the judgement had not been prepared in time, the judge announced the new date, a fact confirmed by the court’s bench assistant, Ariful Islam.
The eight accused in the case are building owner Sohel Rana; former Mayor of Savar Municipality 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 defendants, Sohel Rana has secured bail in this corruption case but remains in custody in connection with the murder case filed over the Rana Plaza collapse. He was produced in court from jail on Sunday.
Defendants Mahbubur Rahman and Farzana Islam have been fugitives since the beginning of the proceedings, while the others appeared in court while on bail.
Sohel Rana’s father, Abdul Khalek, and mother, Morjina Khatun, passed away during the course of the trial and were subsequently exempted from the case.
The tragedy and legal background
The 10-storey Rana Plaza, located near the Savar bus stand, collapsed on 24 April 2013. At the time, approximately 5,000 workers were inside the various garment factories housed in the building.
A massive rescue operation eventually recovered 1,136 bodies from the debris. While 2,438 people were rescued alive, nearly 2,000 of them suffered injuries or permanent disabilities.
Five days after the incident, on 29 April, the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested Sohel Rana in Benapole, Jashore, as he attempted to flee to India.
Following the collapse, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) launched an inquiry into the irregularities and corruption surrounding the building’s construction.
On 15 June 2014, ACC Deputy Assistant Director SM Mofidul Islam filed a case at Savar Police Station against 17 individuals for constructing the building in violation of the approved design.
Initially, Sohel Rana was not included in the case as the building was registered in his father’s name. However, he was later added to the charge sheet after investigations revealed he was the primary person responsible for the building’s oversight.
Findings of the Investigation
Following further investigation, a report was submitted on 23 February 2017 naming 18 accused. The court later exempted eight individuals and ordered charges to be framed against ten.
The trial formally commenced on 21 May 2017. Out of 20 listed witnesses, 19 provided testimony before the court.
The ACC’s further investigation report stated that Savar Municipality had originally approved a design for a six-storey shopping complex called ‘Rana Plaza’ on 10 April 2006. On 22 January 2008, an application was made for the construction of four additional floors.
It is alleged that the information regarding the previous approval was concealed to open a new file and obtain design approval for a 10-storey building. While the permit was for a shopping complex, permission was later granted to operate five garment factories within the premises.
In addition to this corruption case, Sohel Rana faces two other pending trials: one for murder related to the collapse and another for violating building construction regulations.
