Detectives investigating the Tejgaon building collapse on February 25, which killed 21 people and injured over 50 workers, have made no progress whatsoever in apprehending the seven absconding accused in the case. Detective Branch (DB) Deputy Commissioner Shahidul Islam told The Daily Star that despite several raids at different locations they were unable to arrest anyone. Sources in DB said they are sure the accused in the Tejgaon building collapse case will soon surrender to the court and eventually obtain bail, as in the case of the collapsed Spectrum building in Savar. In fact, lawyers of the principal accused in the Tejgaon building collapse, Chairman of Phoenix Group Din Mohammad, tried to obtain an anticipatory bail from the High Court on Sunday but the prayer was rejected on the ground that the court could not do so in absence of the accused.

Detectives investigating the case in connection with the collapse of nine-storey Spectrum building in Savar on April 11 last year, that killed 62 garment workers and injured hundreds, are yet to submit the charge sheet. The investigation officer of the case Kanchan Kumar Roy told The Daily Star that the investigation is taking a long time because dozens of people are culpable for the collapse of the building. "The investigation is nearly finished," he said.

Following the collapse of the Phoenix building in Tejgaon, as usual Sub-inspector of Tejgaon Police Station Khalilur Rahman filed a case accusing top officials of the Phoenix Group. The accused are the Chairman of the company Din Mohammad, Directors Shoeb Ahmed and MA Jalil, Managing Director of the proposed Phoenix Cancer Hospital Dr Jahangir Alam, Executive Director MA Hasan, Engineer Delwar Hossain, Manager Serajul Islam, and Finance Manager Sheikh Rejaul Karim Farouk. The finance manager was arrested from the site of the ill-fated building on the day of the collapse. Within a week after filing, the case was transferred to DB for investigation. But so far the other accused have successfully eluded the police.

In both the collapse cases, Rajuk took little time in revealing that the structures were either completely or partially illegal, which means that the owners did not comply with the construction law during or prior to construction. The authorities immediately reacted with filing of cases, accusing the owners of the buildings of 'negligent homicide'.

In the case of Spectrum building just after its collapse the then Officer-in-charge of Savar Police Station Nazrul Islam filed a case against the owner of the building and Managing Director of Shahriar Group Mohammad Shahriar, and Director of the company Mohammad Hashem Fakir. Fifteen days after the case was filed, both the accused surrendered to the court and another twenty days later they were released on bail.

Later the case was handed over to DB, which mysteriously, till today has failed to submit any charge sheet. According to court sources, the dates for hearing the case have been deferred several times over the last ten months on the ground that DB is yet to submit its report.

Meanwhile, after the collapse of the Tejgaon Phoenix building investigators in Rajuk were trying to trace the engineers and architects who were overlooking the extensive modification works in the building just before it caved in. According to a source in Rajuk, the real culprits behind the collapse are the professionals who were entrusted with ensuring the safety of the building during the modification.

"The structural engineer-in-charge of the modification demolished two columns of the building, making the structure instantly vulnerable," said a member of the joint inquiry team formed by Rajuk, and the Ministry of Housing and Public Works.

"Unless we can mete out exemplary punishment to all responsible for the collapse, more buildings are sure to collapse soon," he said.