Rana, Ethertex Chairman remanded

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A Dhaka Court has granted police 15 days to quiz Rana Plaza owner Sohel Rana in two cases filed over the high-rise collapse in Savar.

The court of Senior Judicial Magistrate Wasim Sheikh also granted the law keepers 12 days to quiz Ethertex Limited Chairman Anisur Rahman in the same cases.
Nine-storied Rana Plaza caved in on Wednesday killing over 380 people. The building housed five readymade garment factories, including Ethertex Limited.


Case’s Investigation Officer and Detective Branch Police Inspector Shahin Shah had sought 20 days to grill the Juba League leader Rana, who is being widely blamed for the heavy loss of lives in the Dhaka suburb.

Rana reportedly took no heed of the cracks that surfaced in the Rana Plaza and dismissed it as ‘nothing serious’ on Tuesday.

Police and capital's development authority RAJUK had filed two cases after the accident implicating Rana, his father and owners of the five garment factories.

Judge Sheikh granted an eight-day remand of Rana in the case filed by police and seven days in the one filed by RAJUK relating to the building construction code violation.

The majority of the victims in the collapse on Wednesday were readymade garment workers, who were forced into work by the factory owners on Wednesday despite safety alerts raised by the Industrial Police the previous day.

In the face of severe criticism over the delay in Rana’s arrest, Rapid Action Battalion arrested him, along with Shah Alam Mithu and Anil, on Sunday from Benapole of Jessore while trying to flee to neighbouring India.

Both Mithu and Anil were reportedly helping Rana escape.

The court also granted the law keepers five days to grill the duo in their custody in another case filed by police over the collapse.

After bringing Rana back to Dhaka from Benapole in a helicopter, RAB Director General Mokhlesur Rahman on Sunday told reporters, “Rana is responsible for the deaths at Savar. He forced the workers to join duty.”

Earlier, police arrested and remanded Aminul Islam, who owns Phantom Apparels and Phantom Tac Limited, New Wave Bottom owner Mahmudur Rahman Tapas and New Wave Style owner Bazlus Samad Adnan.