Dhaka: The trial court has set May 16 next for deposition in the culpable homicide case filed in connection with the collapse of Rana Plaza at Savar, on April 24, 2013.

‘The proceedings of the cases, one filed for culpable homicide and another for building code violations, in connection with the Rana Plaza collapse, have completed charge framing level and awaiting deposition....,’ said Public Prosecutor Khandakar Abdul Mannan of Dhaka district on Saturday.

But, he expressed hope to initiate the trial again in the case of culpable homicide on May 16 scheduled for taking deposition, as stay order upon pleas of seven people including the then Savar Municipal Mayor Refayat Ullah out of eight have already been vacated and stay upon plea filed by Md Ali Khan, Savar Municipality Councilor, is expected to be vacated on the first week of May.

‘The trial in the case will be completed within one or two years after the deposition starts. It will take time to complete as 594 people have been made prosecution witnesses in the case,’ he further added.

He also said the case filed for building code violations is also at the stage of deposition following an unresolved revision petition filed by three of the accused with the District and Sessions Judge’s Court.

Trials in two more cases filed against Sohel Rana for possessing of illegal arms and narcotics are also at the stage of deposition, he added.

A total of 1,136 people mostly garment workers were killed and 1769 others injured in the eight-storey Rana Plaza collapse, at Savar, on the outskirts of the capital city on April 24 in 2013. As many as 2438 people have been rescued alive. The building housed five garment factories, a bank and shops.

Police filed a case of ‘culpable homicide’ and Rajdhani Unnayan Kartipakhya (RAJUK) filed another case of building code violations with Savar Police Station. Sohel Rana, owner of the Rana Plaza, was made accused in both the cases.

Law enforcers arrested the building owner Sohel Rana from the southwestern district of Jashore four days after the building collapse.

On July 18 in 2016, Dhaka District and Sessions Court indicted 41 people including Sohel Rana on charges of killing 1,136 people and injuring about

1796 others while another court on June 14 of 2016 framed charges against 18 people including Rana in a case filed over building code violation.

The charge sheet in the culpable homicide case, which accuses 41 people including Sohel Rana was submitted on June 21, 2016 while the charge sheet in another case, which accuses 18, including Sohel Rana, of using flawed and low-quality materials in the construction of Rana Plaza, was submitted on June 14 in 2016.

Two of 41 accused in the culpable homicide case died, while Sohel Rana is in jail, 31 are on bail and seven others absconding.

However, a Dhaka court on August 29, 2017 sentenced Sohel Rana, owner of the Rana Plaza, to three years’ simple imprisonment in a case filed against him for not submitting his wealth statement to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).

While in another case, a Dhaka court on March 29, 2018, sentenced Morzina Begum, mother of Rana Plaza owner Sohel Rana, to six years’ imprisonment for amassing wealth illegally and concealing her wealth statement to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).

On May 21 in 2017, another Dhaka court framed charges against 10 people including Morzina Begum, her husband Abdul Khalek and their son Sohel Rana in a case filed for accumulating wealth illegally.