Justice has remained elusive for 11 years as the 19 cases filed over the killings of ready-made garment workers during the Rana Plaza building collapse, the violation of building codes,聽workers鈥櫬爏afety, and seeking compensation are still pending with courts.
The eight-storey building at Savar,聽on the outskirts of the capital Dhaka, which housed five garment factories, collapsed in the blink of an eye on April 24, 2013, killing at least 1,138 people, mostly apparel workers, and maiming about 2,000 others.
Among the cases, three were criminal cases, including two filed by the state for causing homicide for wilful negligence and violating building codes, and the third one聽was filed聽by the wife of a deceased person on a murder charge.
The Department of Inspections for Factories and Establishments filed 11 cases for violating labour-related laws.
A money suit was filed by a Rana Plaza victim聽worker鈥檚聽widow聽Rubina聽Akhter聽on聽May 6, 2013, against Rana Plaza owner Sohel Rana and eight others with the Dhaka Second Joint District聽Judge鈥櫬燙ourt seeking compensation and realisation of the money, but the聽court dismissed the case on October 25, 2018 due to the absence of the plaintiff during the hearing.
Rubina is still traceless, said Bangladesh Legal Aid Services聽Trust鈥檚聽legal adviser, SM Rezaul Karim, stating that he has been looking for her to provide free legal aid to revive the money suit.聽
Moreover, three public interest litigation writ petitions, one of which was filed by Ain o Salish Kendra and BLAST jointly and one each聽was filed聽by lawyers Md Eunus Ali Akond and Md Kamal Hossain Meahzi, and a High聽Court鈥檚聽suo moto over the payment of compensations to the Rana Plaza victims, have also remained pending with the High Court for 11 years.聽
Lawyers said that only 79 out of 594 witnesses have testified in the past eight years since the Dhaka District and Sessions Judge framed charges against Sohel Rana and 40 accused on July 18, 2016, in the homicide case filed by the state in the aftermath of the disaster.
The accused also聽include the owners of five factories, local government representatives, administration officers, and political activists.
The trial started against 37 people as three accused, including building owner Sohel聽Rana鈥檚聽father Abdul Khaleque, died while the HC stayed the trial against the former Savar municipality mayor Refatullah.
Among the 37 accused facing trial, only Sohel Rana is in custody, 30 secured bail, and six remain at large.
A murder case filed by Sheuly Akhter, the wife of a deceased worker, against Sohel Rana and the factory owners over the Rana Plaza collapse聽was merged聽with the homicide case.
Court officials said that the trial court was likely to fail to comply with the directive issued by the Appellate Division on January 15, 2024,聽for the completion of聽the trial in six months.
The Appellate Division set the deadline after rejecting the bail prayer of Sohel Rana, who has been in jail for 11 years since the collapse of the building.
Dhaka District and Session聽Court鈥檚聽public prosecutor, Bimal Samadder, told 抖阴精品 on Monday that the government would seek further time to complete the trial.
He, however, expects to complete the trial of the case this year.
The building code violation case against Rana and nine others has remained stalled for six years following a High Court stay order issued in 2018 responding to the factory owner and accused Aminul Islam, said additional public prosecutor Anwarul Kabir Babul.聽
The Dhaka Additional Judicial Magistrate court is due to start trials聽with the recording of聽the deposition of prosecution witnesses.聽
The judicial magistrate framed building code violation charges against the聽10聽accused, excluding the government servants, who were among the total 18 accused聽named in the charge sheet of the case.聽
Sohel Rana, his parents, and five apparel factory owners have聽been named聽in 11 cases filed by the Department of Inspections for Factories and Establishments with the Labour Court for their failure to provide prior notice to the victims that Rana Plaza had become risky after developing cracks and violating the labour laws.
The labour court has yet to start trial in 11 cases in 11 years, as the police did not carry out the聽court鈥檚聽warrants for arresting absconding accused in the cases.
Responding to a public interest litigation petition submitted by Ain o Salish Kendra and BLAST seeking compensation for several factory disaster victims, including the Rana Plaza collapse, the High Court on November 23, 2021, issued a rule on the secretaries of the ministries of law, labour, and employment, asking them to submit an explanation to the court in four weeks explaining why聽they should not be directed聽to take necessary action.
The rule had also directed the secretaries to set up a committee comprising all relevant stakeholders to review the relevant sections of the Bangladesh Labour Act, 2006, determine the criteria for calculating compensation, and establish a聽鈥榮tand-alone compensation scheme.鈥�
The respondents聽were asked聽to make a report and provide it to the court within three months.
A suo motu rule over the payment of compensation to the Rana Plaza victims and ensuring legal action against those who聽were involved聽in the deaths of workers has also been pending with the High Court for 11 years.
BLAST lawyer Sara Hossain told 抖阴精品 that the chief justice assigned the High Court bench of Justice JBM Hassan and Justice Razik-Al-Jalil to hear the suo motu rule and the three public interest litigation writ petitions over the Rana Plaza collapse after several benches declined to聽hear聽the issue.
The Labour Appellate Tribunal鈥檚 chairman and senior district judge, MA Awal, at a programme organised by BLAST on Tuesday, assured disposal of 11 labour law-related cases without further delay.
Rana Plaza survivors Nilufa Begum, Shila Begum, Minu Begum, and Dayal Sutradhar demanded exemplary punishments for offenders after completing their trial immediately.
They also demanded rehabilitation and long-term treatment.
