FR Tower fire: Land owner Faruque granted bail

A Dhaka Court today granted bail to SMHI Faruque, the land owner of FR Tower in Banani, in connection with a case filed over the fire at the high-rise building that killed 26 people on March 28.

Metropolitan Magistrate Md Saiduzzaman Sharif passed the order after the lawyer of Faruque, 65, lawyer moved a petition seeking bail in the case.

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His bail plea has been granted considering his age, ailments including cancer and custody, our court correspondent reports.

THE CASE AND CHARGES

Sub-Inspector of Banani Police Station Milton Dutt filed the case where he said that the accused showed utter negligence to human life and property by violating building construction rules, by not keeping safe exits so that people can come to safety and not implementing fire safety measures.

“Such work led to the death of 26 people, the injury of over 100 others and the damage of properties of adjacent buildings,” the statement read.

The accused committed the offences as part of their ill motive to make financial benefit, it stated.

Detectives arrested Faruque, also an engineer, from Bashundhara area the wee hours of May 31.

Notably, another accused in the case -- Tasvirul Islam, the managing director and chief executive officer of Quasem Drycells Ltd -- was granted bail by a court on April 11.