Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh (IEB) has said evidence shows faulty construction at Banani’s FR Tower in Dhaka, where a fire claimed 26 lives, injuring many more.
Faults found in the building’s staircases proved the faulty construction, IEB said in its report on the March 28 fire incident.
The report said the fire safety issue went unconsidered in the building plan, and was one the reasons that caused the huge blaze.
The IEB on March 29 launched a separate inquiry, headed by former IEB president Engineer Mohammad Nurul Huda, to find out the reasons behind the fire, and make proper recommendations.
IEB General Secretary Khandakar Manzur Morshed said the team reported to IEB chief on April 6 with a set of recommendations.
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Engineers also expressed doubt about the extent to which the building plan had been followed during construction.
“We are yet to receive the copy of the building plan. At present, we cannot say whether building plan was followed,” said Morshed.
He also added that the building was constructed sidestepping the plan approved by Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk).
The IEB report said the March 28 fire might have originated from either the kitchen on the south-east side of a building, or a nearby room on the building’s seventh floor, as fire caused relatively more damage there.
There were gas burners in the kitchen, while the nearby room stored air conditioner, electric wire, furniture, and cotton thread.
The fire might have started either from an electrical short-circuit, gas leakage, or air conditioner, the report said.
