Govt orders Rana Plaza owner’s arrest

Home Minister Muhiuddin Khan Alimgir has ordered the arrest of Sohel Rana, Savar Juba League leader and owner of the nine-storey commercial building Rana Plaza that collapsed on Wednesday killing over 200.

Public Relations Officer of the ministry Mahfuzul Haque told bdnews24.com about the order.

The worst building collapse in the country's history took place near the Savar bus stand on the outskirts of the capital around 8:30am on Wednesday.

The official death toll rose to 216, roughly 30 hours since the huge structure crumbled. The final death toll is likely to be much higher.

The ill-fated building accommodated at least five garment factories and some 300 shops, with nearly 6,000 workers in them.

Scores of people are trapped inside the rubble. Rescue workers, led by the army, are still continuing their search operation for those trapped under the debris.

Workers at Rana Plaza on Tuesday had seen cracks in the huge structure but the authorities allegedly did not take any precautionary steps. Building owner Rana had told reporters that day that there was ‘nothing serious’ in the cracks.

The workers were forced to work in the garment factories located in the building on the fateful morning, many of the survivors have alleged.

Rana, a Senior Joint Convenor of Awami League’s youth front Juba League’s Savar municipality unit, has been on the run since the collapse.

Home Minister Muhiuddin Khan Alamgir visited the site and told reporters that the building was not approved by the authorities. He said stern legal action would be taken against the people who built the structure defying the codes or laws.

The minister came under attack in the media and social networking sites as he pointed out that the pro-shutdown pickets shook the building's pillars, which might have caused the disaster.

Police and RAJUK filed two cases at the Savar Model Police Station on Wednesday night accusing the owners of the building and the five garment factories that the high-rise housed.

The High Court on Thursday directed the owner of Rana Plaza, and the Managing Directors and Chairmen of the garment factories to appear before it on Apr 30.