The Supreme Court has stayed a High Court order that granted bail to Sohel Rana, owner of the collapsed Rana Plaza, which resulted in significant loss of life in 2013.
On Wednesday, Justice Md Rezaul Haque issued the stay after the state filed a petition challenging the High Court’s decision. The matter will be further heard by the full bench of the Appellate Division on October 21.
As a result of the Supreme Court's ruling, Sohel Rana will remain in jail, confirmed Additional Attorney General Mohammad Arshadur Rouf.
During the hearing, Additional Attorney General Aneek R. Haque represented the state, while Advocate Syed Mamun Mahbub appeared for Sohel Rana.
The High Court had granted Sohel ad-interim bail for six months the previous day while also asking the state to explain why he should not receive regular bail.
The Rana Plaza tragedy occurred on April 24, 2013, when the nine-story building collapsed in Savar, killing at least 1,135 people, mostly garment workers, and injuring over 2,500. This disaster raised serious concerns about labour and human rights standards in Bangladesh.
A murder case was filed by Wali Ashraf, a sub-inspector at Savar Police Station, accusing Sohel Rana, his father, and several others of responsibility for the tragedy. On May 24, 2015, the Criminal Investigation Department pressed charges against Sohel and 41 others. The Dhaka District and Sessions Judge's Court subsequently framed charges on July 18, 2016.
