Senior opposition leader among two held for Dhaka blaze

The blaze broke out in the F R Tower in Dhaka's Banani area. Pic/AFP

Dhaka: A senior leader of opposition BNP was among two persons arrested in connection with a devastating fire in a high-rise building that killed 26 people in Dhaka last week, police said on Sunday.

At least 26 people were killed and 50 others were injured when the blaze broke out in the 23-floor office bloc, F R Tower in Dhaka's Banani area, on Thursday. A case was registered on Saturday, Dhaka Police Commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia was quoted as saying. S M H I Faruk, an engineer and the land owner of the building, was arrested from on Sunday.

BNP leader Tasvir Ul Islam, who is one of the owners of the building and the president of the commercial complex's management committee, was arrested from his Baridhara residence on Saturday.

Authorities said that the building lacked adequate fire safety measures and had no fire-protected staircases. Islam was the owner of the top three floors of the building that had no permission for the construction, police said. There were other partners, who jointly own the building, and police was looking for the chief of the construction company that built the complex.

26
Number of people killed in the blaze

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