Thirteen years after the Rana Plaza collapse, one of the deadliest industrial disasters in Bangladesh’s history, the trial remains unfinished mainly due to repeated absence of witnesses.
The eight-storey building in Savar collapsed on 24 April 2013, killing 1,136 people and injuring around 1,000, most of them garment workers. Despite the scale of the tragedy, the case has yet to reach a final verdict.
The trial is now being heard at the Dhaka Additional District and Sessions Judge’s Court-8. Of 594 listed witnesses, only 145 have so far given testimony, including complainant Sub-Inspector Wali Ashraf Khan.
Court officials say the main obstacle is the failure of witnesses to appear.
Non-bailable arrest warrants have been issued against several absent witnesses in an effort to speed up the proceedings.
Public Prosecutor Md Iqbal Hossain told BSS that the case is of immense importance and expressed hope that more witnesses would appear on the next hearing date, 30 April. He said efforts are underway to conclude the trial within this year.
Another prosecutor, Faisal Mahmud, said repeated instructions have been issued to law enforcement agencies, including the Dhaka Range DIG and the district Superintendent of Police, to ensure witness attendance. However, continued absence has stalled progress.
Defence lawyer for prime accused Sohel Rana, Advocate Masud Rana, said his client remains the only accused in custody.
He said the trial is delayed mainly due to witness absence and added that the defence also wants a swift resolution.
According to case details, cracks appeared in the building on 23 April 2013. Despite the risk, workers of four garment factories inside the building were allegedly forced to resume work the next morning. At around 9:45am on 24 April, the building collapsed shortly after generators were switched on.
The case was filed the following day, 25 April, at Savar Police Station by Sub-Inspector Wali Ashraf Khan. After investigation, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) submitted a charge sheet on 26 April 2015 against Sohel Rana and 40 others. Charges were framed on 18 July 2016.
Of the 41 accused, Sohel Rana is currently in jail. Two have died, 13 are absconding, and 25 are on bail granted by the High Court.
In related convictions, Sohel Rana was arrested in Jashore after fleeing following the collapse. In a separate Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) case for failure to submit wealth statements, he was sentenced to three years in jail and fined Tk50,000 on 29 August 2017.
In another case, his mother Marzina Begum was sentenced to six years’ imprisonment on 29 March 2018 for acquiring wealth beyond known sources of income and concealing information. The court also ordered confiscation of assets worth nearly Tk7 crore.
Even after more than a decade, the prolonged trial highlights continued challenges in ensuring timely justice in major cases, especially when proceedings depend heavily on witness appearances.
