Banani FR Tower fire: Rupayan Group chairman relieved of charges
Probe report submitted on January 30
A Dhaka court today relieved Mukul Liakat Ali Khan alias Mukul, chairman of Rupayan Group, from the charges of a case filed over a devastating fire that ripped through the 22-storey FR Tower in the capital's Banani in 2019.
The latest development came as the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) did not find any involvement of Mukul, now out on bail, during the investigation.
However, PBI found involvement of land owner SMHI Faruque and seven others in the incident that killed 26 people and left some 70 injured on March 28, 2019.
Based on the probe report submitted on January 30, Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Md Rashidul Alam accepted the charges against Faruque and seven other accused in the case.
Of the accused, Faruque, Tasvir Ul Islam, one of the owners of FR Tower, and Syed Aminur Rahman, treasurer of FR Tower, all now out on bail, were present at the court today.
The court issued arrest warrants against five others as they were shown fugitives in the charge sheet. It also directed the officer-in-charge of Banani Police Station to submit by March 12 the progress report on execution of the arrest warrants.
PBI Inspector Md Rafiqul Islam, also the investigation officer of the case, in his probe report said Rupayan had completed the construction work in 2008.
Rupayan had earlier formed an adhoc committee and handed over flats both to the land and flat owners.
After that, both the land and flat owners continued the building maintenance and others.
The fire broke out due to the negligence of the security management and an electric short circuit, killing 26 people and leaving some 70 injured, the IO said in his probe report.
On March 31, 2019, Milton Dutt, a sub-inspector and also the in-charge of Banani Police Outpost, filed the case against land owner SMHI Faruque, Mukul, chairman of Rupayan Group, the builder company, and Tasvirul Islam, and others who were part of the building management committee and some unidentified persons.
Another Dhaka court on October 18, 2021 framed charges against former Rajuk chairman Humayun Khadem and three others in a case filed over forgery in the design of FR Tower in Dhaka. The three others are: former Rajuk chief engineer Saidur Rahman, FR Tower leaseholder SMHI Faruque and Mukul.