Photo: Collected

DHAKA, April 23, 2026 (BSS) - Thirteen years after the Rana Plaza collapse-one of the deadliest industrial disasters in Bangladesh's history-the trial in the murder case remains unfinished, largely due to the repeated absence of witnesses.

The eight-storey building in Savar collapsed on April 24, 2013, killing 1,136 people and injuring around 1,000, most of them garment workers. Despite the scale of the tragedy, the judicial process has yet to reach its conclusion.

The case is currently being heard at the Dhaka Additional District and Sessions Judge's Court-8. Of the 594 listed witnesses, testimonies of only 145 have been recorded so far, including that of the case's complainant, Sub-Inspector Wali Ashraf Khan.

Court officials say non-appearance of witnesses remains the primary obstacle. Non-bailable arrest warrants have been issued against several absent witnesses in an effort to expedite the proceedings.

Public Prosecutor Md Iqbal Hossain told BSS that the case is of ‘immense importance’ and expressed hope that more witnesses would appear on the next scheduled date, April 30. "We are trying to conclude the trial within this year," he said.

Another prosecutor, Faisal Mahmud, said the court has issued repeated directives to law enforcement authorities, including the Dhaka Range DIG and the district's Superintendent of Police, to ensure the presence of key witnesses. However, their continued absence has stalled the progress.

Defence counsel for prime accused Sohel Rana, Advocate Masud Rana, said his client remains the only accused currently in custody. "The trial is being delayed mainly due to witness absence. We want the case to be resolved soon," he said.

According to the case details, visible cracks had appeared in the building on April 23, 2013. Despite the risk, workers of four garment factories housed in the building were allegedly forced to return to work the following morning. Around 9:45 am on April 24, the building collapsed shortly after generators were switched on, triggering the catastrophe.

The case was filed the next day, April 25, at Savar Police Station by SI Wali Ashraf Khan. Following investigation, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) submitted a charge sheet on April 26, 2015, against Sohel Rana and 40 others. Charges were formally framed on July 18, 2016.

Of the 41 accused, Sohel Rana is currently in jail. Among the others, two have died, 13 are absconding, and 25 are on bail granted by the High Court.

Convictions in graft cases: Sohel Rana, who fled after the collapse, was later arrested in Jashore. In a separate case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) for failure to submit wealth statements, he was sentenced to three years' imprisonment on August 29, 2017, along with a fine of Taka 50,000.

In another case, his mother Marzina Begum was sentenced to six years' imprisonment on March 29, 2018, for acquiring wealth beyond known sources of income and concealing information. The court also ordered confiscation of assets worth nearly Taka seven crore.

Even after more than a decade, the prolonged trial underscores persistent challenges in ensuring timely justice in major cases-particularly when proceedings depend heavily on presence of the witnesses.