The legal proceedings surrounding the corruption case over the construction of the Rana Plaza building took an unexpected turn on Tuesday, as a Dhaka court sent the high-profile matter back to the argument stage rather than delivering its anticipated verdict.
Judge B. M. Tarikul Kabir of the Dhaka Divisional Special Judge’s Court issued the order following a formal petition filed by the defence counsel. Arifuzzaman Islam, the bench assistant of the respective court, confirmed the development to reporters.
The case involves eight defendants, including Sohel Rana, the owner of the collapsed building. Other notable accused individuals 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 Russel, former town planner Farzana Islam, and license inspector Md Abdul Motaleb.
Among the accused, Sohel Rana remains incarcerated in connection with the separate murder case filed over the catastrophic structural collapse, though he holds bail status in this specific corruption matter. He was produced before the court from prison under heavy security. Meanwhile, defendants Mahbubur Rahman and Farzana Islam are currently fugitives from justice, while the remaining accused appeared in court on bail.
The origins of the legal battle trace back to the disaster of 24 April 2013, when the multi-storey Rana Plaza complex near the Savar bus stand collapsed catastrophically. The tragedy claimed the lives of more than 1,136 people, predominantly garment workers, and left countless others severely injured.
Following the disaster, the Anti-Corruption Commission initiated an inquiry into structural irregularities and building code violations. On 15 June 2014, the anti-graft body lodged a formal case at Savar police station against 17 individuals over unauthorized construction. Although Sohel Rana was initially omitted because the property was registered under his father’s name, subsequent investigations revealed his direct involvement in the construction and management, leading to his inclusion in the charge sheet.
On 23 February 2017, following further investigations, a chargesheet naming 18 individuals—including Sohel Rana and his parents—was submitted to the court. During the subsequent framing of charges, eight individuals were discharged, and formal trials commenced against ten defendants. Sohel Rana’s parents were later dropped from the proceedings following their deaths.
According to case documents, Savar Municipality had initially approved a design for a six-storey commercial complex named Rana Plaza on 10 April 2006. An application for an additional four storeys was submitted on 22 January 2008. Although the structure was sanctioned as a shopping complex, permissions were later granted to house five garment factories within the premises. Investigators alleged widespread irregularities, corruption, and flouting of building bylaws during the plan approvals and the unauthorized vertical expansion.
The trial formally began on 21 May 2017 with the framing of charges against the accused. Throughout the judicial proceedings, the prosecution presented 19 out of 21 listed witnesses to substantiate the corruption charges. With the court accepting the defence petition for fresh arguments, the legal process will now examine submissions once more before a verdict can be scheduled.
