Trial proceedings on FR Tower design forgery case to continue: HC
BI Report || BusinessInsider
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The High Court on Sunday rejected the appeal of FR Tower Owner’s Society president Tasvir Ul Islam to suspend the case filed over fabricating the design of FR Tower at Banani in capital Dhaka.
After the rejection no official obstruction remained for the trials to go ahead in this case.
The bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Md Mostafizur Rahman passed the order during a hearing followed by the appeal submitted by the petitioner’s lawyer, said Deputy Attorney General AKM Amin Uddin.
On November 15, a Dhaka court framed charges against 16 people including the building owner and Rupayan Group’s chairman in the case.
Later Tasvir appealed to the High Court seeking suspension of the case for him.
Other indicted in the case are Syed Md Hossain Imam Faruque, leaseholder of FR Tower, Liakat Ali Khan Mukul, chairman of Rupayan Housing Estate, Md Shamsul Alam, former director of Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK), its assistant director Shah Md Sadrul Alam, assistant authorised officer Md Nazrul Islam, former supervisor Jahanara Begum, assistant director Meheduzzaman, high quality assistant Md Saiful Alam and Md Shafiullah, building inspector Imrul Kabir and Md Shawkat Ali, former authorised officer Md Shafiqul Islam, low quality assistant Mhuhammad Mojibur Rahman Molla, and office assistants Md Enamul Haque and Shawkat Ali.
On March 28, 2019, the 23-storey FR Tower caught fire leaving 25 people dead and 73 others injured.
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) found that the building had narrow exit points and staircases, and no fire alarm. Also, the fire exits were blocked.
The FR Tower authorities had permission for a 15-story building, but they had allowed builder Rupayan to illegally add eight more floors over time.
On June 25, 2019, ACC Deputy Director Abu Bakar Siddique filed the case with ACC’s integrated district office Dhaka-1 over RAJUK’s approval, fee submission, fabricating design and approving it along with another case over the fire incident.
