Police, RAB raid Khulna buildings to detain Rana

The law keepers have conducted a raid in Khulna to detain the owner of the Savar building which collapsed on Wednesday killing over 350 people.

Based on a tip-off, police and the RAB carried out the 45-minute search operation at the two buildings, owned by one Mostofa Mallik, in the Sonadanga residential area to detain Juba League leader Sohel Rana, the area’s police OC SM Kamruzzaman said on Sunday.

Rana has been on the run since the accident.

Nine-storey Rana Plaza at Savar housed five readymade garments. Huge cracks were spotted a day before the building caved in. The rescued workers alleged the garment owners had forced them to work.

Locals say around 3,500 workers were inside the building when the accident occurred. Two cases have been filed over incident with Savar police. Five persons including three owners of garments factories have been detained.

The main opposition BNP has alleged that the local ruling party MP had assisted Rana to escape but Junior Home Minister Shamsul Hoque Tuku refuted the allegation. He has said the law enforcers were trying to detain Rana.