Plaza owner responsible for the building collapse: RAB

Mohammad Sohel Rana, the owner of multi-storey commercial block Rana Plaza which collapsed on Wednesday morning, has been brought to RAB headquarters at the capital’s Uttara.

Staff Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 28 April 2013, 05:55 AM
Updated : 28 April 2013, 10:14 AM

He was presented before the media there while RAB officials briefed the reporters about his arrest on Sunday.

RAB Director General Mokhlesur Rahman told reporters, “Rana is responsible for the deaths at Savar. He forced the workers to join duty.”

Rana, whose ‘negligence’ allegedly caused the high-rise to collapse in Savar, was arrested at noon from the residence of clearing and forwarding trader Moniruzzaman Jeti at Benapole’s Ballfield, Benapole Port Police Station Inspector Mijanur Rahman Khan told bdnews24.com.

Two bottles of Phensedyl were also found on him at the time. Rana was trying to flee to India through Benapole, he said.

Jessore RAB commander Major Jahiduzzaman said Rana was hiding in the room of tenant Shah Alam Mithu at that house. They are distant relatives.

Mithu and Rana’s associate ‘Anil’ were also arrested from there. Anil helped Rana to get to Benapole via Faridpur, Jahiduzzaman said.

RAB intelligence chief Lt Col Ziaul Ahsan led the raid that captured Rana.

After their capture in Jessore earlier in the day, the trio was flown to old airport in Dhaka’s Tejgaon by a RAB helicopter at around 5pm.

Then they were driven to the elite force’s headquarters in a microbus and presented before the press.

Rapid Action Battalion chief Mokhlesur Rahman said Rana was there and had fainted after the building collapsed. He received treatment at a local hospital at Savar for two hours.

“Then he came to Dhaka and spent Wednesday night at the house of a friend named ‘Shamim’.”

Then Rana went to Manikganj and spent two nights at the house of one ‘Afzal’. From there, he went to Anil’s house in Faridpur and spent Saturday night there, Rahman said.

Rana then went to Mithu’s residence along with Anil on Sunday. RAB arrested all of them from there, Rahman added.

Asked whether anyone had aided Rana to flee, RAB intelligence chief Ziaul Ahsan said, “No. If anyone had aided and provided shelter to him, he wouldn’t have to stay at three places before getting to Benapole.”

He also said necessary measures will be taken if he was also accused in any other cases.

Earlier on Sunday, State Minister for LGRD Jahangir Kabir Nanak, who is coordinating the rescue work at Savar, had confirmed the news of his arrest from Benapole bordering India.

“The Prime Minister had promised that those responsible will be brought to justice. She has kept her promise,” Nanak said.

Junior Home Minister Shamsul Haque Tuku was also present beside him when the announcements were made at Savar.

Tuku said, “The arrestees will be prosecuted. And those who are yet to be arrested will be caught soon.”

Along with the ministers was local Awami League MP Talukdar Mohammad Towhid Jung Murad, who on Wednesday had aided Rana to flee from the collapse site at Savar after Rana had gone there to visit the scene.

The death toll from the worst building collapse in Bangladesh’s history has swelled to nearly 400.

Sohel Rana claims himself to be the Senior Joint Convenor of the ruling Awami League’s youth front – Juba League, but Awami League supremo Sheikh Hasina has dismissed his claim.

The Prime Minister herself also had ordered that Rana be arrested.

Rana reportedly had taken no heed of the cracks in the wall that surfaced in his building, housing at least five garment factories and many other offices, and dismissed it as ‘nothing serious’ on Tuesday.
The majority of the victims after 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.
Two cases have already been filed at the Savar Model Police Station, over what is being described as the worst industrial disaster in the history of Bangladesh, against Rana and the owners of the five garment factories located in the building.