Twelve years after the Rana Plaza collapse, which killed at least 1,138 people, mostly apparel workers, and injured over 2,400 at Savar, justice remains elusive for the victims and their families.
Their fight for justice, fair compensation, and accountability continues to be stalled by court delays, legal loopholes, and a justice system still failing.
Following the tragedy, nineteen cases were filed over the deaths, injuries, labour rights violations, building code breaches, and compensation claims. Eighteen of the cases are still pending before various courts, exposing the deep inertia in the county鈥檚 legal and regulatory systems when it comes to workers鈥� rights.
Rana Plaza, an eight-storey commercial building that housed five garment factories in Savar, collapsed within seconds on April 24, 2013.
Despite the scale of the tragedy, only Sohel Rana, the building鈥檚 owner, remains behind bars.
Most of the other accused, including factory owners and officials, are either free on bail or remain absconding.
Of the 19 cases, three are criminal cases鈥攖wo filed by the state for homicide due to negligence and violation of building codes, and one murder case filed by the wife of a deceased worker.
Eleven other cases filed by the Department of Inspections for Factories and Establishments for labour law violations are still stuck at the Second Labour Court in Dhaka. Of the 11 cases, arrest warrants in four cases are expected on April 30, four others are pending public notice issuance, and three have no hearing dates scheduled.
A money suit filed by Rubina Akhter, a widow of a deceased worker, seeking compensation from Rana and eight others, was dismissed in 2018 due to the plaintiff鈥檚 absence during hearings.
Three public interest writ petitions filed by Ain o Salish Kendra, Bangladesh Legal Aid Services Trust, and two individual lawyers and a High Court suo motu rule concerning compensation and justice for the victims, have also been pending for over a decade.
Legal proceedings in the main homicide case, which named 41 accused, have dragged on with little progress.
Since the Dhaka District and Sessions Judge framed charges in July 2016, only 93 of 594 prosecution witnesses have testified in the case.
The trial currently proceeds against 37 accused, with three deceased and one鈥攆ormer Savar mayor Refatullah鈥攑rotected by a High Court stay order.
Public prosecutor Iqbal Hossain told 抖阴精品 that court-issued warrants against key witnesses, including doctors and magistrates, had gone unheeded.
鈥楧octors and magistrates are crucial to proving the case,鈥� he said.
鈥榃e hope to move to the argument stage if they appear on the next date.鈥�
A separate case on building code violations against Sohel Rana and nine others has been stalled since 2018 due to a High Court stay in response to a petition by a factory owner, Aminul Islam.
The trial magistrate framed charges against 10 of the 18 accused, excluding the government officials named in the charge sheet.
The Appellate Division, rejecting Sohel Rana鈥檚 bail petition on January 15, 2024, had directed the lower court to conclude the trial within six months.
That deadline has also passed without compliance.
Human rights lawyer Sara Hossain criticised the prolonged delay in delivering justice and compensation.
鈥業t is high time to resolve the compensation claims. The Rana Plaza land has been preserved for this purpose, and accounts of the building owners remain frozen,鈥� she said.
Sara also lamented the lack of urgency from the High Court. 鈥楩our separate writ petitions seeking compensation and accountability have remained unheard for more than a decade.鈥�
鈥楾he judiciary must prioritise these issues to uphold workers鈥� rights,鈥� she said.
In November 2021, in response to a public interest litigation by ASK and BLAST, the High Court issued a rule asking why the ministries of law, labour, and employment should not be directed to take steps to ensure compensation.
The court also ordered the formation of a stakeholder committee to review relevant labour law provisions and design a standalone compensation scheme.
The ministries were to report back within three months but no such report has yet been submitted.
The Rana Plaza disaster remains one of the deadliest industrial tragedies in global history.
