A Dhaka court on Wednesday placed four ‘associates’ of Rana Plaza owner Sohel Rana on a four-day remand in a murder case filed against them and others following the collapse of high-rise Rana Plaza in Savar on April 24.
Dhaka judicial magistrate Toybul Hasan passed the order while the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of police sought a seven-day remand against the accused -- Mohammad Abdul Mannan, Mohammad Alamgir Hossain, Mohammad Modhu, and Mohammad Rasel Ahmad – after placing them before the court.
Earlier on Wednesday, a team of CID police arrested the accused raiding different places in Savar.
While seeking remand, police claimed that these four, along with Sohel Rana, ‘influenced’ the garment workers to join the factories housed in the eight-storey building despite development of cracks on the second floor seen on the previous day.
Police also alleged that these four were present in the building with Sohel Rana on the day of the collapse and acted as associates of Sohel Rana.
Police claimed it was essential to quiz these four in remand for the proper investigation into the murder case.
There was no lawyer on behalf of the accused in court.
While talking before the judge, an accused Mannan claimed himself innocent.
“I rescued four injured victims from under the debris shortly after the building collapsed,” Mannan said, adding that he would accept any form of punishment if found guilty following investigation.
Over 1,130 people, mostly garment workers, died while hundreds were hurt in the deadliest building collapse in the history of Bangladesh. The incident once again drew attention of the international media putting pressure on the government as well as garment owners to develop the working condition for the labourers.
The owner of the building, Sohel Rana, was arrested following the incident and is now behind bar. The garment workers claimed they were forced to join the factories housed in the building although a number of cracks developed in the building the previous day.