Forged design of FR Tower: Ex-Rajuk chairman granted bail

A Dhaka court today granted bail to ailing former chairman of Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha Humayun Khadem, who appeared before the court on a stretcher, in a case filed over forgery in the design of FR Tower in the capital's Banani area.

Judge Syed Kamal Hossain of the Special Court for Dhaka Division passed the order after his lawyer Shahinur Rahman moved a petition, seeking bail in the case.

Read more: FR Tower Design Forgery: Charges accepted against 5

Four other accused -- Syed Md Hossain Imam Faruque, a lease holder of FR Tower; Liakat Ali Khan Mukul, chairman of Rupayan Housing Estate Ltd; Md Saidur Rahman, former chief engineer of Rajuk; and Syed Makbul Ahmed, former authorised officer of Rajuk -- also got bail in the case.

The judge set January 31 for hearing on charge framing against the accused in the case.

On October 29 last year, Md Abu Bakar Siddique, assistant director of the Anti-Corruption Commission and also the investigation officer of the case, submitted the charge sheet against all the five accused.

The FR Tower caught fire on March 28 last year. The incident left 25 people dead and 73 others injured.

On June 25 the same year, the ACC filed two cases against 23 people for their alleged involvement in illegally extending Banani's FR Tower beyond the permitted number of floors.

During investigation, the anti-graft body found that the 23-storey FR Tower had narrow exit points and staircases, and no fire alarm, while the fire exits were blocked.

The building authorities had legally obtained permission for a 15-storey building but they illegally added eight more floors over time.