HC scraps FR Tower owner Faruk’s bail in building design forgery case

The High Court has scrapped bail for three people, including SMHI Faruk, in a case that involves charges of forging the design of fire-ravaged FR Tower in Dhaka’s Banani.

Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice KM Hafizul Alam passed the order on Tuesday, following an appeal from the Anti-Corruption Commission.

The court also cancelled the bail for former building inspectors Aurangzeb Siddique and Shawkat Ali.

The accused will have to surrender to the trial court within seven days after the receipt of an HC order copy.

Advocate Khurshid Alam Khan represented the ACC, while Deputy Attorney General AKM Amin Uddin Manik and Assistant Attorney General Helena Begum China were the state counsels.

The court turned down an appeal from the ACC to cancel the bail for BNP leader Tasvir Ul Islam, who is one of the owners of FR Tower in Banani, Khurshid told reporters.

"The court issued a rule asking why the bail of other accused will not be scrapped.”

Charges in the case will be submitted to the trial court in 20 days, he said.

The accused were granted bail by Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge KM Imrul Kayes between Aug 19 and Sept 5.

Irregularities in the building construction surfaced after 27 people died in a devastating fire at FR Tower on Mar 28.

Engineer SMHI Faruk is the prime owner of the land on which FR Tower was built. Rupayan Housing Estate Limited constructed the building on Kamal Ataturk Avenue in partnership naming it FR Tower.

On Jun 25, the ACC filed a case against 23 people, including Tasvir, over constructing the building with a forged design.