FR Tower Tragedy: HC stays bail orders for 3 accused

The High Court yesterday stayed the lower court orders that granted bail to three accused in a case filed for forgery over the design of 23-storey FR Tower in the capital’s Banani.

It also ordered the accused to surrender before the lower court concerned within seven days.    

The accused are FR Tower land owner Syed Md Hossain Imam Faruque, Rajuk’s former inspector Md Aurangzeb Siddique Nannu and its former deputy director (estate) Md Shawkat Ali.

Moreover, the HC issued three separate rules asking the accused and the government to explain as to why the lower court orders in the case should not be scrapped.  

Judge KM Emrul Kayesh of Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court gave bail to Faruque, Aurangzeb and Shawkat on August 20, September 1 and 5 in the case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission.

Yesterday, the HC bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice KM Hafizul Alam came up with the orders and rules after hearing of three petitions filed by the ACC on Monday challenging the lower court orders.

Khurshid Alam Khan appeared for the ACC and Deputy Attorney General AKM Amin Uddin Manik represented the state.

During hearing of the petitions, Khurshid told the HC that there are specific allegations against the three accused of committing a forgery in preparing the design of FR Tower and issuing certificates for constructing the building and violating the Building Code rules.

The accused cannot be granted bail in the sensational case due to gravity of the offence, he said, adding that Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court gave them bail without considering the gravity of the offence.

The lawyer urged the HC to cancel the lower court orders.

He said the accused would have to surrender before the trial court within seven days after receiving the certified copies of the HC order.

The lawyer added that all the accused were now out of jail following the trial court orders.

A devastating fire in the 23-storey building left at least 25 people dead and 73 others injured in March.

Later, the ACC lodged the case with Banani Police Station against the accused on charges of forgery over the design of FR Tower and violating the Building Code rules in constructing the high-rise building.