The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on Wednesday stayed the High Court鈥檚 interim bail order for Sohel Rana, the owner of Rana Plaza and former leader of the Awami League鈥檚 youth wing, Juba League.
The stay was issued on Wednesday by Justice Md Rezaul Haque, the vacation judge of the Appellate Division鈥檚 chamber court, pending a full hearing scheduled for October 21.
The state, in its appeal against the bail, assured the Appellate Division that the trial in the murder case, a matter of significant public interest, would be completed within two or three working days.
Consequently, the chamber judge temporarily halted the bail order.
The High Court had previously granted Sohel Rana six months鈥� bail on Tuesday, following his appeal against the Dhaka District and Sessions Judge鈥檚 Court decision in early September, which had denied bail.
This ruling opened the possibility of Rana鈥檚 release from custody, as he had already secured bail in four other cases and served sentences in two additional ones.
In its ruling, the High Court referenced a January 2024 observation from the Appellate Division, which advised lower courts to grant bail if a trial remained incomplete after six months.
Rana, who has been incarcerated since his arrest by the Rapid Action Battalion on April 28, 2013, near the Benapole border, sought bail citing the lengthy period of his pre-trial detention.
The murder case, stemming from the April 24, 2013, collapse of the eight-storey Rana Plaza in Savar, one of the deadliest industrial disasters in history, has seen slow progress. Despite being initiated in December 2016, the trial has only examined 92 out of 594 prosecution witnesses.
The collapse of the plaza, which housed five garment factories, a shopping mall, and a bank, resulted in the deaths of at least 1,136 workers and left over 2,000 others injured.
Legal experts noted that the delay in completing the trial, over a decade after the incident, raised serious concerns about access to justice for the victims.
Survivors and the families of the deceased continue to demand compensation, medical care, and rehabilitation, as many are still grappling with the long-term consequences of the tragedy.
Sohel Rana, alongside factory owners, engineers, and local officials, stands accused of negligence contributing to the disaster. The Supreme Court鈥檚 intervention in the bail matter underscores the significance of ensuring due process, especially in high-profile cases with widespread implications for workers鈥� safety in Bangladesh鈥檚 garment industry.
Additional attorneys general, Arshadur Rouf and Aneek Rushd Haque, represented the state while Sohel Rana was represented by lawyers Syed Mamun Mahbub and Shazzad Ali Chowdhury.