FR Tower design forgery: 3 accused must surrender to trial court

The Supreme Court today ruled that three accused of FR Tower design forgery case must surrender to the trial court concerned in seven days in line with the High Court order.

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.

Yesterday, the apex court passed the order while hearing three separate petitions filed by Faruque, Aurangzeb and Shawkat seeking its permission to move appeals for staying the HC order on them in the case.

The apex court passed “no order” on the petitions filed by the accused.     

The SC’s “no order” means that the HC orders will remain in force and therefore, the accused must surrender to the trial court, Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan told The Daily Star.

Advocate Munsurul Hoque Chowdhury and Advocate AM Aminuddin appeared for the accused.

The HC on November 5 stayed the lower court orders that granted bail to Faruque, Aurangzeb and Shawkat in the case filed over forgery over the design of 23-storey FR Tower in the capital’s Banani and also directed them to surrender before the lower court concerned in seven days.   

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 ACC.

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.