Sohel Rana (businessman)

Rana and his father built Rana Plaza in 2006, after they reportedly had bullied off co-owners and falsified deeds to acquire full possession. He obtained permits from political allies to expand the building to five floors.[3] On April 23, 2013, explosion-like sounds led people to bring in an engineer to inspect the building. After observing large cracks in supporting columns, the engineer fled the building and urged everyone to evacuate. Rana, who fielded local journalists on the bottom floor, told these reporters that the plaster on the wall was broken.[3] The next day, Rana and the factory owners urged workers to return to their jobs. When a generator on an upper floor switched on and shook the building, the building collapsed, killing 1,134 people and wounding an estimated 2,500 others. Rana's building was not built to facilitate factories. It was built to store shops and other small stores. Rana Plaza was not strong enough to handle the vibrations and power from the heavy machinery used by factories.[4]

Rapid Action Battalion members arrested Sohel Rana from Benapole in Jessore District on April 28, four days after the Savar tragedy.[5]

In March 2014, Rana was granted six months' bail in the High Court. This prompted angry reactions from labour leaders. However, Rana was not released from jail as other charges filed by police were pending.[6]

On 29 August 2017, Rana was sentenced to a maximum three year imprisonment by a court for failing to declare his personal wealth to Bangladesh's anti-graft commission.[7] The trials for murder and other charges have been delayed due to appeals to the higher court.[8]

• "Sohel Rana: The true face of politics". The Daily Star. 6 May 2013.