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42 charged w/ homicide by Bangladeshi police for 2013 garment factory collapse;

Forty two persons who are said to be responsible in the collapse of a garment factory in 2013 that left more than a thousand people dead are now facing homicide charges from Bangladeshi police. Based on the investigation, employers forced their workers to enter the building despite cracks discovered the day before the incident occurred.

Bangladeshi police have filed homicide charges on Monday against 42 persons which includes the building owner Sohel Rana, 5 owners of the garment factories inside the complex, dozens of local officials and engineers, and Refat Ullah, the former mayor of the local council, two years after the collapse of the Rana Plaza Factory Complex in Dhaka, Bangladesh that killed 1,136 workers. According to a report, 18 of the 42 including the owner of the building and the owners of the factories have also been found out to have violated the building code. Based on gathered evidence, they have forced workers to work inside the building on April 24, 2013 without considering the danger the cracks could bring. Rana, a local politician, did not acquire a permit from the municipal building safety agency but from the mayor. Council officials and engineers meanwhile failed to enforce regulations during the construction of the eight-story building. If proven in court, all of the 42 will face life imprisonment under the Bangladeshi law. Council officials and engineers meanwhile can seek bail.

Rana is currently detained after he was arrested a few days after the accident that also injured many of about 2,500 people that were rescued. Another report says Rana's parents were also among those charged with murder.

A source says just last week, Rana was charged with illegal accumulation of wealth by the Bangladesh Anti-Corruption Commission. Further proceedings on the homicide case meanwhile will continue on June 28.

None of the 42 charged or their lawyers could be reached for comment.


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