Rana arrested from Benapole

Sohel Rana, whose ‘negligence’ allegedly caused the Rana Plaza, at Savar, to cave in leaving at least 369 people dead, was arrested from Benapole on Sunday afternoon.

Junior LGRD Minister Jahangir Kabir Nanak confirmed the news of his arrest from Benapole - bordering India.

“He was trying to flee the country. He is now being brought to Dhaka in a helicopter,” Nanak said. Junior Home Minister Shamsul Haque Tuku was present beside Nanak when the announcements were made at Savar.

Earlier on Sunday morning, police and the elite Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) conducted unsuccessful raids in Khulna’s Sonadanga area to nab Rana, Sonadanga Police Station Officer in-Charge SM Kamruzzaman said.

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

She herself had ordered that Rana be arrested.

Rana reportedly took no heed of the cracks that surfaced in the Rana Plaza, 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 with 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.