An owner of Rana Plaza, the Bangladesh factory complex where a nine-storey building collapsed last year, killing 1,135 textile workers, is to face murder charges in connection with the disaster, the worst in the nation’s history.
Police lead investigator, Bijoy Krishna Kar, told reporters: “We are planning to press murder charges against Sohel Rana and some other accused.”
Rana, who is one of approximately 40 people facing charges in relation to the building’s collapse, which made headlines around the world for several days last April, was arrested days later near the Bangladesh border with India, apparently attempting to flee the country. His father, also a co-owner, is also to face charges.
The accused face allegations that they ignored workers’ warnings about dangerous-looking cracks and other signs of stress and disrepair. Some employees claimed they witnessed cracks growing before their eyes, while others say they were threatened with losing their jobs if they escalated their concerns.
Bangladeshi CID officials say engineers and regulators who approved the building without inspecting the site and some mid-level factory managers will also be charged for their roles in the disaster.
There are upwards of 4,500 textile factories in Bangladesh, mostly catering for Western shoppers. Workers’ pay is woefully low, perhaps dictated by fierce competition amongst Western retailers to reap massive profits – a desire replicated, quite understandably, by factory owners, who elect to cut corners to achieve them. The safety record in Bangladesh’s textile industry is abysmal, with Rana Plaza the latest and worst of a litany avoidable ‘accidents’. Western retailers that had clothing made at Rana Plaza include Italian fashion brand, Benetton, Spain’s Mango and the British budget chain Primark.
