Rana Plaza murder case: SC orders court to complete trial in six months

The bail of Sohel Rana, an accused in the Rana Plaza building collapse murder case, will remain suspended until the completion of the trial proceedings in the case.

The apex court also asked the relevant court to complete the trial proceedings in the case in six months.

A four-member bench of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan passed the order after hearing Sohel Rana’s bail petition on Monday, according to local news portals.

UNB report said Deputy Attorney General Sarowar Hossain Bappi represented the state while counsel Md Kamrul Islam stood for the accused.

On April 6 last year, the High Court (HC) granted bail to Sohel Rana in the murder case while the prosecution submitted a petition seeking a stay order in this regard later.

On April 9, the Chamber Court of the SC stayed the HC order and sent the petition to the regular bench of the Appellate Division.

On July 10, the Appellate Division issued a rule asking to keep the petition, filed by the state, standover and also ordered to keep the bail order (HC order) stayed until the petition is settled.

Finally the Appellate Division held a hearing regarding the petition today and ordered the lower court to dispose of the case.

On April 24, 2013, Rana Plaza, an illegally-constructed building in Savar which housed five garment factories, came down crashing, killing 1,138 people and injuring over 2,000 others.

Later, police filed the murder case accusing Sohel Rana who has been in jail since his arrest.