Trade unions, survivors of Rana Plaza collapse and relatives of those who perished in the collapse said on Friday that they were aggrieved by the bail granted to Sohel Rana, the owner of Rana Plaza that housed five garment factories.
The Rana Plaza collapsed on April 24, 2013, killing over 1,100 garment workers.
The aggrieved people called for cancelling the bail of Sohel Rana in separate statements and demanded exemplary punishment for the people responsible for the deadly incident.
On Thursday, the High Court granted bail to eight-storey Rana Plaza building owner Sohel Rana, one of the 42 accused in a case filed for the murders and maiming of people due to the building collapse.
Rana Plaza survivor Rupali Akter, while inaugurating a photography exhibition on Rana Plaza at Drik Gallery, said that many survivors were leading miserable lives due to the building collapse while the people, who are accused of the collapse, were living freely.
‘We demand exemplary punishment for Rana,’ she said.
The exhibition was organised by the Bangladesh Garment Workers Solidarity.
BGWS president Taslima Akhter said that it was unbelievable that Rana would get bail who was involved in the killing of over 1,100 workers in his building.
Such an incident will create a mistrust of the judicial system, Taslima added.
‘We are aggrieved over the bail of Rana,’ she said.
Nasima Begum, mother of Rana Plaza victim Akhi Akhter, said that it was shocking news for her to see the bail of Rana.
‘I will never get back my daughter in my life, but I will see Rana leading a happy life,’ she said.
Brac University anthropology teacher Seuty Sabur said that workplace safety for millions of workers of the country was still a far cry.
‘Ensuring safety at workplaces is a collective responsibility for all,’ she said.
Filmmaker Amitabh Reza Chowdhury, a number of photographers and Rana Plaza survivors were present, among others, at the event.
Bangladesh Garments and Sweater Workers Trade Union Centre held a human chain at Ashulia industrial belt on Friday demanding justice for Rana Plaza victims and festival allowances for garment workers before Ramadan 20.
The trade union leaders said that Rana Plaza victims were not rehabilitated even after 10 years of the incident but all the accused were getting bail one after another.
Instead of justice, the accused were given bail and finally the main accused Rana was granted bail. This is shocking news for the survivors as well as the relatives of the dead workers,’ said KM Mintu, general secretary of the trade union.
The Garment Sramik Oikya Forum at a press statement said that none of the accused in an organised killing should get impunity.
Forum president Moshrefa Mishu and general secretary Sahidul Islam Sabuj demanded to ensure justice for the victims.
They said that after 10 years of the much hyped incident the government could not establish justice though it was the state’s responsibility.
