Charges pressed against 5 in FR Tower design forgery

The Anti-Corruption Commission on Tuesday pressed charges against five people in a case filed over forgery in the design of FR Tower in city’s Banani area, reports UNB.

Md Abu Bakar Siddique, assistant director of ACC, submitted a charge-sheet in the case.

The accused are -- Syed Md Hossain Imam Faruq, a lessee of FR Tower, Liakat Ali Khan Mukul, chairman of Rupayan Housing Estate Ltd, Md Humayun Khadem, former chairman of Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK), Md Saidur Rahman, former chief engineer of RAJUK, and Syed Makbul Ahmed, former authorised officer of RAJUK.

The FR Tower in Dhaka’s Banani area caught fire on 27 March this year that left 25 people dead and 73 others injured.

The anti-graft body had filed two cases against 23 people for their alleged involvement in illegally extending the multi-storey building 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.