On April 24, 2013, the Savar building or Rana Plaza collapsed, killing 1,135 garment factory workers and injuring 2,515 in the process. It was subsequently described as the worst industrial accident in history and more recently as a “mass killing” by the police report. Now, nearly three years later, 41 people are facing trial for the murder of these people.
“The court accepted the charge sheet against 41 people who have been charged with murder over the Rana Plaza disaster,” said prosecutor Anwarul Kabir. “The court issued arrest warrants against 24 of them as they have absconded. It also ordered the seizure of their property,” he went on to say.
This group, all of whom could face life imprisonment if convicted, includes the building’s owner Sohel Rana. According to the Independent, Rana is accused of ordering workers to continue their work despite receiving complaints that cracks were appearing in the walls the day before the collapse.
The building itself was intended to house offices and shops but instead housed five garment factories, which supplied 29 clothing retailers including Benetton, Mango and Primark. Its collapse put low-cost retailers like Primark under extreme scrutiny and caused people to weigh the true cost of their clothes.
Hopefully this trial will result in justice for the countless victims of this tragedy.
