13 years on, justice yet to be served

Thirteen years after the collapse of Rana Plaza, justice remains elusive as trials in two cases continue to stall due to the prosecution’s failure to produce witnesses.

At least 1,136 people, mostly garment workers, were killed and over 2,500 were injured when the nine-storey building collapsed in Savar on April 24, 2013 -- the deadliest garment sector disaster in history.

Court records show that 145 of 594 witnesses have testified so far in the murder case against 41 accused, including building owner Sohel Rana, since the trial began in 2016.

However, proceedings in a separate case over building code violations have yet to begin.

On March 30 this year, the Additional District and Sessions Judge’s Court-8 of Dhaka issued non-bailable warrants against 50 witnesses and set April 30 for recording statements.

The court also expressed dissatisfaction over the prosecution’s repeated failure to produce witnesses despite multiple summonses and warrants issued over a long time. It questioned why these orders were not executed and why the police failed to submit reports.

“Due to the absence of important witnesses, the trial is being prolonged, and justice is also being delayed,” the court said, directing police to ensure the witnesses’ presence on the next date.

“If the police authorities fail to produce the witnesses on the scheduled date and the case remains unproven as a result, the responsibility shall lie with the police department,” the court warned.

According to the prosecution, till September 28 last year, 96 witnesses testified before the Dhaka District and Sessions Judge’s Court after it framed charges against the 41 accused in the murder case on July 18, 2016.

The case was later transferred to Court-8, which has since recorded statements of 49 more witnesses after receiving the case records on October 12 last year.

“A total of eight witnesses testified on March 30 this year. Now 449 witnesses remain,” said Riazul Islam Shajib, bench assistant of the court.

Talking to The Daily Star, Additional Public Prosecutor Faisal Mahmud said efforts are underway to produce key witnesses and expressed hope that the trial could conclude by December this year.

“The witnesses, who were the victims in the collapse, are coming for statements, but other witnesses do not appear before the court, so the trial is being delayed,” he claimed.

A day after the incident, Wali Ashraf Khan, sub-inspector of Savar Police Station, filed the murder case against Sohel Rana, also a former Jubo League leader in Savar, and several others.

On May 24, 2015, CID official Bijay Krishna Kar pressed charges against Sohel Rana, his parents Abdul Khaleque and Morjina Begum, and 38 others.

Of the 41 accused, only Sohel Rana remains in custody; 25 are on bail, 11 are absconding, and four, including his parents, have died.

STATUS OF BUILDING CODE VIOLATION CASE

Rajuk filed a separate case over building code violations regarding the construction of Rana Plaza on the day of the collapse.

Charges were submitted against Sohel Rana and 17 others on May 24, 2015, and they were indicted on June 14, 2016.

However, none of the 135 witnesses has testified so far, according to a court staffer.

The case is currently pending at the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate’s Court in Dhaka.

After no witnesses appeared on April 20 this year, the court set September 30 as the next date for recording statements, said Assistant Public Prosecutor Estiyak Hossain Zipu.

“The court has issued summons, but we cannot say why witnesses are not appearing,” he added.