The High Court has granted six months' interim bail to Sohel Rana, the owner of Rana Plaza, which collapsed in 2013, killing 1,136 people, in connection with a murder case.
The HC bench, comprising Justice Md Ataur Rahman Khan and Justice KM Hafizul Alam, passed the order on Tuesday.
Deputy Attorney General M Masud Rana confirmed the matter to Jago News.
Sources from the Supreme Court said that during Sohel Rana's 11 years in custody for the murder case, 93 out of a total of 561 witnesses have testified against him. He was granted bail due to his prolonged detention and the fact that the testimony and disposal of the case had not been completed.
At the same time, the court issued a rule asking why he should not be granted permanent bail. Previously, the High Court had granted Rana bail, but the state opposed it by appealing to the Appellate Division. Following a hearing on that appeal, the Appellate Division directed the trial court to conclude the case within six months.
As the directive of the Appellate Division was not implemented, Rana applied for bail again to the High Court, which has now granted him six months' bail in response to his application.
Rana Plaza, a multi-storey building in Savar on the outskirts of Dhaka, collapsed on April 24 in 2013, leaving 1,135 garment workers dead and injuring around 2,000. Besides, 2,438 laborers were rescued from the rubble.
Then Savar Police Station sub-inspector Ali Ashraf filed a case in this connection bringing allegations of negligence and flaw in the construction of the building.
Rana Plaza owner Sohel Rana and many others were named in the lawsuit.
On April 26 of 2015, Bijoykrishna Kar, the assistant superintendent of the Police's Criminal Investigation Department (CID), submitted a charges sheet against 41 accused.
On April 18 of 2016, Dhaka District and Session Judge SM Kuddus Zaman framed charges against them.