Dhaka court asks ACC to submit probe report by Apr 22

A Dhaka court yesterday asked Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to submit by April 22 the probe report of a case against SMHI Faruque and 22 others over design forgery of FR Tower in Dhaka city's Banani.

Faruque is owner of the land on which FR Tower is built. The other accused include Liakat Ali Khan Mukul, chairman of Rupayan Housing Estate Ltd, the housing company that extended the building illegally; and Tasvirul Islam, one of the FR Tower owners.

The accused in the case also include a former Rajuk chairman and several government officials. Some of them were arrested and later they were released on bail.

Judge KM Emrul Kayesh of Senior Special Judge's Court of Dhaka passed the order after ACC Deputy Director Md Abubakar Siddique, also investigating officer of the case, failed to submit any report yesterday.

A devastating fire in Banani's FR Tower left at least 25 people dead and 73 injured on March 28 last year.

Later, on June 25, ACC filed two cases against 23 people for their alleged involvement in illegally extending the building.

In an ACC inquiry, it was discovered that the 23-storey FR Tower had no fire alarm, had narrow exit points and staircases, and blocked fire exits.

Besides, the authorities illegally extended the building to 23-storey, although they had permission for a 15-storey building. As a result, the casualties peaked.