Published : 29 Mar 2026, 09:08 AM
Updated : 21 Aug 2026, 03:32 PM
Seven years after the devastating fire at the Faruk Rupayan (FR) Tower in Banani, the trial into the tragedy faces new hurdles as defendants move the High Court to stay proceedings.
One defendant has already secured a stay order, while others are reportedly following suit, according to defence lawyers.
The 2019 blaze at the commercial high-rise at 32 Kamal Ataturk Avenue claimed 26 lives and left over 100 injured, many of whom died while attempting to escape the building.
Following the incident, police filed a case on Mar 30, 2019.
After two rounds of investigation -- first by the Detective Branch (DB) and later by the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) -- a charge sheet was filed against eight individuals.
Notably, both agencies recommended exempting Liaquat Ali Khan Mukul, chairman of the developer Rupayan Group, citing a lack of evidence.
On Feb 4, 2024, Metropolitan Magistrate Rashidul Alam accepted charges against the eight defendants.
The suspects are: SMHI Faruk, Tasvir Ul Islam, Selim Ullah, AA Moniruzzaman, Syed Aminur Rahman, Warda Iqbal, Rafiqul Islam, and Kazi Mahmudun Nabi.
Faruk was the owner of the land and now deceased, Tasvir, a BNP leader, served as chairman of the building management committee, and the remaining six were committee members.
On Jan 7, 2026, during a scheduled hearing at the court of Dhaka Ninth Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge Mahmudul Hasan, Tasvir and Warda requested time to appeal the charges in the High Court.
The court rescheduled the hearing for Apr 5.
Tasvir’s lawyer Sajedur Rahman confirmed that the High Court has stayed proceedings following their petition.
"Charging the flat owners is illegal," Sajedur argued.
“Charges have been framed and the trial is at the witness stage, but there is also a separate ACC case on the same incident. The same offence cannot proceed under two cases simultaneously,” he said.
"We were not involved in the construction. The fire resulted from construction defects, yet the developer was excluded from the charge sheet," he added.
Other defendants, including Aminur and Selim, are also preparing to challenge the trial.
Their lawyer, Salman R Rahman, echoed the sentiment: "The main suspect is the developer, yet his name is missing. We are being targeted simply for being part of the flat owners' committee."
Public Prosecutor Aminul Islam Sarkar said: “We are ready to record witness statements. If the High Court stays the proceedings, there is nothing we can do. Otherwise, we will do our utmost to complete the trial.”
