Bangladesh files murder charges in 2013 building collapse

Source: AP

By JULHAS ALAM

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — Authorities in Bangladesh filed murder charges Monday against dozens of people for their roles in the 2013 collapse of a garment factory building that killed more than 1,100 people.

The charges were filed against 41 people, including the building's owner, Sohel Rana, and his parents and more than a dozen government officials, for their direct role in the deaths of 1,137 people in the collapse of Rana Plaza, said the lead investigator, Bijoy Krishna Kar of the Criminal Investigation Department.

Investigators initially had said the accused, who also include the owners of the five factories that the building housed, would be charged with culpable homicide, but they later changed their plans due to the gravity of the accident, Bangladesh's worst industrial disaster.

If convicted of murder, the defendants could face the death penalty. The maximum punishment for culpable homicide is seven years in jail.

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FILE - In this April 25, 2013 file photo, Bangladeshi people gather as rescuers look for survivors and victims at the site of Rana Plaza building that collapsed a day before, in Savar, near Dhaka, Bangladesh. Authorities in Bangladesh said they will file murder charges against 41 people including the building's owner, Sohel Rana, and his parents and more than a dozen government officials, for their direct role behind the deaths of 1,137 people in the collapse of Rana Plaza. (AP Photo/A.M.Ahad, File)

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