Rana Plaza collapa Savar on the capital. File Photo

DHAKA, April 24, 2025 (BSS) – Despite the passage of 12 years, the cases of the Rana Plaza collapse in Savar on the outskirts of the capital is yet to settle till date. Besides, realizing the compensation for the deceased and injured remained unresolved. 

“Both the criminal and compensation cases in the Rana Plaza incident remained pending . . . The cases now need to be resolved quickly,” Supreme Court lawyer Barrister Jyotirmoy Barua told BSS recently.

“The victims have not received the compensation of Taka 17 to 25 lakh what the committee formed as per the High Court orders had promised for each of the victims. Meanwhile, the money that has come from some international organizations is merely a donation, not compensation,” he added.

Located at the Bazar Bus Stand area of Savar Municipality, the horrific and heartbreaking accident took place on April 24, 2013, killing 1,134 people, injuring nearly 2,000 others.

A total of four cases were filed in connection with the incident one decade back. Of the cases, the case of concealing information about the assets has been settled while the remaining three cases are yet to be settled.

Of the four cases, police filed a case of murder citing death due to negligence, RAJUK filed a case for constructing a building without following the Building Construction Act and the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed two cases related to grafts in building construction and concealing information about assets, submitted earlier.

Building owner Sohel Rana was held in jail in these cases. The day after the Rana Plaza collapse, Sub-Inspector (SI) Wali Ashraf of the Savar Police Station filed a case alleging ‘neglectful and defective murder’ in the construction of the building.

In addition, Sheuli Akhter, wife of garment worker Jahangir Alam, filed another case in the court, stating the incident of the death in the Rana Plaza collapse a murder.

After investigating the case, CID Assistant Superintendent of Police Bijoy Krishna Kar filed a charge-sheet against 41 people, including building owner Sohel Rana, on April 26, 2015, where a total 594 people were made witnesses in the case.

Out of the 41 accused in the case, building owner Sohel Rana's father Abdul Khalek, other accused Abu Bakkar Siddique and Abul Hossain passed away. Now the number of accused in the murder case has stood at 38, said the court officials familiar with the cases.

Among the accused, building owner Sohel Rana is currently in jail while some others are out on bail and absconding.

On July 18, 2016, the formal trial of the case began with the framing of charges against the accused in the Dhaka District and Sessions Judge's Court. The case remained currently pending in the Dhaka District Sessions Judge's Court.

“Out of a total of 594 witnesses in the case, 94 have testified,” Dhaka District Public Prosecutor (PP) Md Iqbal Hossain told BSS, the national news agency.
The last date for taking testimony in the case was April 15 this year. As no witnesses were present there, the date was deferred till May 19 next.

“Non-bailable arrest warrants have been issued against the witnesses. Besides, we are trying to bring those who were injured during the incident to testify. 

The trial of the case will be concluded soon,” the PP hoped
Immediately after the Rana Plaza tragedy, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) started investigation into the corruption allegations regarding the construction of in the building.

Although there was a approval for the construction of six-storey Rana Plaza, an eight-storey building was built there violating the building code, the investigation revealed.

The ACC filed a case on charges of corruption related to the construction of the building.

On July 16, 2014, the investigation officer of the case and ACC Deputy Director Mofidul Islam filed a charge-sheet in the court against 18 people including Rana. The case is currently remained pending for trial in the Dhaka Divisional Special Court.

Besides, the ACC filed a case against Rana Plaza owner Sohel Rana on charges of concealing information about his assets.

On April 12, 2015, ACC Assistant Director Mahbubul Alam filed a case with Ramna Police Station against Rana Plaza owner Sohel Rana and his mother Marjina Begum.
In the case, it was alleged that Rana Plaza owner Sohel Rana had acquired assets worth about Tk 6,67,66,900 by concealing information about the construction of Rana Plaza and providing false and baseless information to the state-run anti-graft watchdog.

On August 29, 2017, Dhaka's Special Judge's Court-6 announced the verdict sentencing Sohel Rana to three years in prison and a fine of Tk 50,000, or an additional three months in prison in default of it.

His mother Marjina Begum was also sentenced to three years in prison in the same case. At the same time, the court ordered confiscation of one-third of the illegally acquired house at 69/1 Savar Bazar Road in favor of the state.