Rana Plaza trial delayed again

A Dhaka court has once again held back on passing an order on charge framing in a corruption case filed against 18 people over the deadly 2013 Rana Plaza collapse. Judge Md Ataoar Rahman of Dhaka Divisional Special judges’ court on Monday deferred the decision till May 21 in a case filed by Anti Corruption Commission (ACC). Assistant Bench Officer Md Rafiqul Islam said: ‘‘yesterday was fixed to order the charge framing against the accused. But the judge is busy in other important cases, so the court set a later date for the case. On April 19, the court set the date to Monday after a hearing on charge framing against the accused. On July 16, 2014, ACC Deputy Director M Mofidul Islam, also investigation officer of the case, submitted the charge-sheet against 18 people including Sohel Rana in the graft case. The accused include Sohel Rana, his parents Abdul Khaleque and Marjina Begum. Savar municipality Mayor Refat Ullah, former chief executive officer of Savar municipality Uttam Kumar Roy, its executive engineer Rafiqul Islam, former commissioner Haji M Ali Khan, architect ATM Masud Reza, Sajjad Hossain and former town planner of Savar municipality Farjana Islam. On June 15, 2014, the ACC filed the case on the charge of constructing Rana Plaza with a faulty design leading to the collapse. Savar municipality had given approval in 2007 to construct a five-storey building, but the owners built an eight-storey commercial complex on wetland.