FR Tower design forgery: Court frames charges against 16
A Dhaka court today framed charges against 16 people, including Rupayan Group Chairman Liaquat Ali Khan Mukul, in a case filed over forging the design of FR Tower in Dhaka's Banani that was ravaged by fire in March 2019.
The case was filed against the 16 over violation of building code in constructing FR Tower, raising it to 23 floors from 19 through fake clearance, and illegally mortgaging and selling the upper floors.
All the accused, now on bail, pleaded not guilty and demanded justice after Judge Syed Kamal Hossain of Dhaka Divisional Special Judge read the charges to them.
Earlier in the day, the judge dismissed the petitions submitted for discharging them from the charges of the case.
The judge acquitted two accused -- former director (estate) of Rajuk Md Abdullah-al-Baki, and former caretaker Mofazzal Hossain -- from the charges.
The judge set December 1 for starting trial of the case.
The accused include FR Tower land owner SMHI Faruque, Quasem Dry Cell's Managing Director Tasvir Ul Islam, former building inspector of Rajuk Md Nazrul Islam, former director (estate) Md Shamsul Alam, former deputy director (estate) Muhammad Shawkat Ali, former assistant director (estate) Shah Md Sadrul Alam, former caretaker (estate) Jahanara Begum, former inspector Md Meheduzzaman, lower division assistant and typist Mojibur Rahman Mollah, and office assistant and computer operator Enamul Haque.
Five other accused are Rajuk's higher division assistant Saiful Alam, building inspectors Imrul Kabir and Md Shawkat Ali, higher division assistant (issuer) Shafiullah and former authorisation officer Shafiqul Islam.
On December 13 last year, Anti-Corruption Commission pressed charges accusing 18 people in the case.
On 28 March of 2019, a fire broke out at FR Tower, killing 27 people. Many were injured in the incident.
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