Probe finds RAJUK irregularities in permitting FR Tower construction

More than 50 officials of the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartipakkha, or RAJUK, including its former chairman, committed a series of irregularities in permitting the design and construction of Banani’s FR Tower, a government probe has found.

The probe panel said, the plan for the 18-storey building was approved in violation of the building code.

The permission to allow the construction of five additional floors on top of the original plan along with other design flaws and irregularities also resulted from corruption at various levels of the capital development authority.

The probe also found that the building’s developer Rupayan Housing Limited deviated from its design when constructing the commercial tower.


Landowner SMHI Faruque and FR Tower Owners Society must also shoulder blame for the fire incident, according to the probe.
 
Housing and Public Works Minister SM Rezaul Karim announced the findings of the probe at a media briefing on Wednesday and said legal action will be taken to deal with the irregularities.  
 
Several irregularities during the construction works of FR tower came to light after 27 people died in a blaze at the 23-storey tower in Banani’s Kamal Ataturk Avenue on Mar 28. 
 
Faruque, an engineer, owns the land on which the building was constructed by Rupayan Housing Estate Limited.
 
In the wake of the deadly fire, the government formed four separate probe panels, including one under the housing and public works ministry.  
 
The minister said, RAJUK followed the correct procedure for approving the design of a 15-storey multi-purpose commercial building under the building code of 1990.   
 
The capital development authority also followed the correct procedure for granting permission for a 18-storey residential commercial building in 1996 but it failed to comply with the amendments to the regulation.   
 
“Despite a new building code coming into effect in 1996, the authority followed the 1984 regulation instead when approving the design of FR Tower. As result, RAJUK cannot evade liability. , former chairman of RAJUK could not ignore his responsibilities." said Karim.