Dhaka highrise FR Tower design forgery: 3 asked to surrender

The High Court on Tuesday stayed the bail of three accused in a case filed over forgery in the design of FR Tower in city’s Banani area and directed them to surrender before the lower court within a week.

The accused are Syed Md Hossain Imam Faruq, a lessee of FR Tower, Md Awrangajeb Siddique, former building inspector of Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha, and its former deputy director (state) Md Sawkat Ali.

The bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice KM Hafizul Alam passed the order after hearing a petition filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission.

Advocate Md Khurshid Alam Khan stood for the ACC while Deputy Attorney General AKM Amin Uddin Manik and Assistant Attorney General Helena Begum represented the state.

The FR Tower caught fire on March 27 last that left 25 people dead and 73 others injured.

The national anti-graft body had filed two cases against 23 people for their alleged involvement in illegally extending Banani’s FR Tower beyond the permitted number of floors.

During investigation, the ACC found that the 23-storey FR Tower had no fire alarm while it has narrow exit points and staircases and the fire exits are blocked.

The authorities had legally obtained permission for a 15-storey building but they made the FR Tower a 23-storey one over time.

Syed Md Hossain Imam Faruq secured bail from a lower court in August while the rest two were granted bail September.

Later, the ACC filed an appeal with the HC seeking cancellation of their bail.

source: UNB