Rajuk assistant director gets bail

Shah Md Sadrul Alam, an assistant director of Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) who was arrested on charges of design manipulation of FR Tower in Banani, was granted bail yesterday.

Five other accused -- former Rajuk chairman KM Harun, former inspector Mehedi Uzzaman, former directors (estate) Shamsul Alam and Md Moamzzem Hossain, and former coordinator Mofazzel Hossain -- also got bail after their surrender yesterday.

Judge KM Emrul Kayesh of Dhaka Senior Special Judge’s Court passed the order, after the accused filed bail petitions.

On August 8, Liakat Ali Khan alias Mukul, 57, chairman of Rupayan Group -- the builder company of FR Tower -- got ad-interim bail after his surrender before a Dhaka court.

Two other accused -- FR Tower land owner SMHI Faruque and building co-owner Tasvirul Islam -- were earlier arrested and later granted ad-interim bails in the cases.

Yesterday, the judge granted them permanent bail. 

On June 25, ACC filed two cases accusing 23 people, including a former chairman of Rajuk, chairman of Rupayan Housing Estate Ltd and several government officials, for alleged involvement in illegally extending the building.

An ACC enquiry, found that the 23-storey building had no fire alarms, narrow exit points and staircases, blocked fire exits and other issues.

Although authorities had legally obtained permission for a 15-storey building, they extended it to 23 storeys.

ACC sued 25 people in two cases filed over the illegal extension -- to 16th to 18th and 19th to 23rd floors.