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DHAKA, May 16, 2026 (BSS) - The extended absence of the principal investigation officer (IO) in the Rana Plaza collapse murder case has emerged as a major obstacle in concluding the long-pending trial of one of Bangladesh's deadliest industrial disasters.

Despite repeated efforts by the prosecution to expedite the proceedings, the IO's absence has significantly slowed down the progress of the case, delaying its final resolution.

According to court officials, Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Senior Assistant Superintendent Bijoy Krishna Kar, the fugitive investigation officer in the case, has repeatedly failed to appear before the court despite multiple summons issued over the past 18 months.

"The IO is not appearing before the court in spite of repeated summons. He has been summoned on every hearing date over the past 18 months," Public Prosecutor of Dhaka District Md Iqbal Hossain said. 

He added that notices have already been issued to the Inspector General of Police and the Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner to ensure the IO's appearance before the court.

However, police sources said the whereabouts of Bijoy Krishna Kar could not be traced.

 The prosecution fears that the continued absence of the key investigation officer may further prolong the long-pending trial, which has already dragged on for 13 years since the collapse of Rana Plaza in Savar.

Officials said the prosecution has now placed the trial on its highest priority list and is working to complete proceedings as quickly as possible.

"We have taken it as our top priority case and are trying our best to complete it as quickly as possible," Additional Public Prosecutor Mortoza Mohammad Antik said.

The trial regained momentum after being transferred to an Additional District Judge's Court on October 12, 2025. Since then, the court has held several hearings in an attempt to accelerate the judicial process.

However, procedural complications and the large number of witnesses continue to slow progress. The prosecution listed 594 witnesses in the case, of whom 150 have testified so far, including the complainant, police officials, engineers, magistrates and a BUET teacher.

The court has directed Bijoy Krishna Kar to appear on June 21, warning that failure to comply could lead to the issuance of a non-bailable warrant against him. Another investigation officer, Sub-Inspector Shaheen Shah Parvez, has also sought more time citing health issues.

The Rana Plaza building collapsed on April 24, 2013, killing 1,136 people and injuring around 1,000 others, most of them garment workers.

Cracks had reportedly appeared in the building a day before the collapse, but workers of several garment factories housed there were allegedly forced to return to work.

The case was filed on April 25, 2013, at Savar Police Station by Sub-Inspector Wali Ashraf Khan.

Following investigation, the CUD submitted a charge sheet on April 26, 2015, against Sohel Rana and 40 others. Charges were framed on July 18, 2016.

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

Prosecutors expressed hope that with cooperation from all concerned parties, including the appearance of key investigation officers, the long-delayed trial could finally move toward conclusion and justice for the victims.