AKLAKUR RAHMAN AKASH

Even 13 years after the Rana Plaza collapse, injured workers are living in inhumane conditions due to a lack of compensation, rehabilitation, and proper medical treatment.

On April 24, 2013, the 10-storey Rana Plaza building collapsed, killing 1,136 workers and injuring over 2,000.

More than a decade on, families of the deceased and those injured continue to suffer, as many have not received adequate compensation. At the same time, those responsible for the collapse have yet to be properly punished.

Nilufa Yasmin, a sewing operator on the seventh floor, survived but was left seriously injured and unable to return to work.

“I have not been able to return to my normal life after suffering spinal and head injuries. I have received only a nominal grant. None of our demands has been met,” she told The Daily Star.

“My husband, a daily wage labourer, is now also ill and unable to work. We are a family of six. I have taken loans to support my children’s education. If the government provides jobs for my son and daughter, I will not ask for anything more.”

Masuda, 31, who also worked on the seventh floor, sustained severe injuries to her spine, head, and legs.

13 years on, justice yet to be served

Failure to produce witnessesdelaying proceedings

EMRUL HASAN BAPPI

Thirteen years after the collapse of Rana Plaza, justice remains elusive as trials in two cases continue to stall due to the prosecution’s failure to produce witnesses.

At least 1,136 people, mostly garment workers, were killed and over 2,500 were injured when the nine-storey building collapsed in Savar on April 24, 2013 -- the deadliest garment sector disaster in history.

Court records show that 145 of 594 witnesses have testified so far in the murder case against 41 accused, including building owner Sohel Rana, since the trial began in 2016.

However, proceedings in a separate case over building code violations have yet to begin.

On March 30 this year, the Additional District and Sessions Judge’s Court-8 of Dhaka issued non-bailable warrants against 50 witnesses and set April 30 for recording statements.

The court also expressed dissatisfaction over the prosecution’s repeated failure to produce witnesses despite multiple summonses and warrants issued over a long time. It questioned why these orders were not executed and why the police failed to submit reports.

“Due to the absence of important witnesses, the trial is being prolonged, and justice is also being delayed,” the court said, directing police to ensure the witnesses’ presence on the next date.

“If the police authorities fail to produce the witnesses on the scheduled date and the case remains unproven as a result, the responsibility shall lie with the police department,” the court warned.

According to the prosecution, till September 28 last year, 96 witnesses testified before the Dhaka District and Sessions Judge’s Court after it framed charges against the 41 accused in the murder case on July 18, 2016.

The case was later transferred to Court-8, which has since recorded statements of 49 more witnesses after receiving the case records on October 12 last year.

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