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Regent’s Shahed sentenced to 3yrs imprisonment in ACC case

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A Dhaka court on Monday ordered a three-year prison sentence to the chairman of Regent Hospital Mohammad Shahed Karim in the case filed by the ACC for the alleged acquisition of illegal assets. 

Judge Pradeep Kumar Roy of Dhaka’s Special Judge Court-7 announced the verdict.

Earlier, on August 10, the judge fixed this day for the pronouncement of the verdict after presenting the arguments of the state and the accused.

According to the complaint, the ACC issued a notice to Shahed to submit the asset account within 21 working days of November 5, 2020. As he did not submit the asset account, another 15 working days was given. 

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However, the ACC started the inquiry as the asset statement was not submitted even within the extended period. Investigation found allegations of illegal acquisition of Tk1.69 crore against him.

On March 1, 2021, a case was filed against Shahed at ACC’s Dhaka District Office-1. Later, on April 17, 2022, the court ordered the formal trial against Shahed to be filed in the case. A total of ten witnesses in this case testified at different times during the course of the testimony.

On September 28, 2020, Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge KM Imrul Kayes ordered life imprisonment against Regent Group and Regent Hospital Limited Chairman Shahed Karim in a case under the Arms Act.

In a case under Section 19 (A) of the Arms Act, 1878, the charges against Saheed were proved. The court also sentenced him to seven years imprisonment under Section 19 (F) of the Arms Act. The court said that both sentences will run concurrently.

Shahed and Regent Hospital came into the limelight in July 2020 after law enforcement agencies raided the hospital over its alleged involvement in providing fake Covid-19 certificates to people and embezzling money from patients.

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He was arrested from Debhata upazila of Satkhira on July 15, 2020, said RAB. Later, around 36 cases were filed against him at different police stations across the country.

Shahed has already been convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment in an arms case.

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Foreign powers like US behind my ouster: Indian media quotes Hasina

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In what is being called in Indian media to be her first statement since resigning and fleeing the country on August 5, former prime minister Sheikh Hasina has accused foreign powers like the US of playing a hand in her ouster.

Indian news outlet The Print in an article today said it had seen the message conveyed to Hasina’s Awami League supporters. India’s Economic Times also carried an article about the message, which The Daily Frontline has not been able to independently verify.

“I could have remained in power if I had left St Martin and the Bay of Bengal to America,” she said in the message.

According to The Print, the Hasina government saw strained relations with the US for many years. Ahead of January’s elections this year, she said “a white man” had offered her a smooth return to power in exchange for an airbase.

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Hasina also warned the new interim government not to be “used” by such foreign powers.

Led by Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus, the new interim government was sworn in on Thursday night, three days after Hasina’s ouster.

“I resigned so that I did not have to see the procession of dead bodies. They wanted to come to power over your [students’] bodies, I did not allow it. I came with power,” read Hasina’s statement.

“Maybe if I was in the country today, more lives would have been lost, more wealth would have been destroyed,” she added.

She is also expected to address the media while in India next week, The Print article said.

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Sheikh Hasina resigned as prime minister and fled Bangladesh on August 5, when a student-led protest culminated in a mass uprising against her Awami League government.

More than 400 people were killed in the preceding three weeks, a majority of them in police firing and firing by Awami League activists.

The US is Bangladesh’s largest foreign direct investor.

In her message to supporters and party cadres, she vowed to return to the country, though accepting her defeat.

“I will return soon inshAllah. The defeat is mine but the victory is [that of] the people of Bangladesh,” she stated.

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“I removed myself, I came with your victory, you were my strength, you did not want me, I myself then left, resigned. My workers who are there, no one will lose morale. Awami League has stood up again and again,” she added, according to The Print.

The former prime minister also accused people of distorting her words.

“I want to repeat to my young students, I never called you Razakars … My words have been distorted. A group has taken advantage of your danger,” she said in the message.

The term “Razakar” is considered to be derogatory in Bangladesh as it refers to ‘volunteers’ who collaborated with the Pakistan Army during Bangladesh’s 1971 war for independence.

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Regulator orders freeze on bank accounts of Hasan Mahmud, family members

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The Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit has ordered banks to freeze all accounts of former foreign minister Hasan Mahmud and his family members.

A senior official of the anti-money laundering agency confirmed it.

The BFIU asked the banks to block all types of withdrawals through the individual or business accounts of Hasan Mahmud, his wife Nuran Fatema, and their daughter Nafisa Jumyina Mahmud.

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Police can’t be used as killers, henchmen anymore: Sakhawat

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Home Affairs Adviser Brigadier General (Retired) M Sakhawat Hussain today said members of the police force cannot be used as killers or henchmen anymore.

“Police has been given lethal weapons. I was surprised to see 7.62 (firearms) at police’s hand. They were given those weapons 15 to 20 years back … Police should not be given these weapons,” the adviser said.

He was talking to media at the Central Police Hospital in Dhaka after visiting police members who suffered injuries in clashes during the recent mass protests.

The adviser condemned both the killings of general public by shooting and murders of police during the protests.

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“I am telling politicians that it will be difficult to do politics now. You can’t use police like killers and henchmen anymore,” he added.

“I will insist that police will run under the police commission. Orders from anyone will be given to the police commission, and they [the commission] will decide what to do,” he said.

“Every day, incidents of robbery are going on as there are no police on the streets. Police are demoralised,” he added.

“Unjust things have happened … I will try to severely punish those who ordered [killing of people by shooting] either at home or abroad,” he said.

“The politics of Bangladesh is the politics of sycophants. Such flattery is created that people are dying and they say nothing happened,” he added

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He asked police members not to apply excessive force.

“Our society can’t run without police,” he said.

The adviser said what the army is currently doing was not their job. But they are still doing it. They were even attacked in Gopalganj.

“A state cannot run like this. Politics of a state cannot go on like this. Bangabandhu has of course contributed, but thousands of people fought and 30 lakh people were killed to liberate the country. The state is not anyone’s personal property,” he said.

“I saw what happened in the country through BBC. But our media said nothing had happened. If media had played an objective role, police would not face this situation. Shame on you.

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“A country is submerged when the media does not speak the truth,” he said.

He threatened to shut down media outlets if they are biased towards any one entity.

Regarding the 11-point demand of police members, the adviser said, “They did not want the sky and the moon. Their demands will be met, [but] it may take time to meet some of the demands.”

He urged people to cooperate with police to bring the situation to normal.

Over 400 people including some policemen were killed and several thousand others were injured after in the monthlong protests that eventually forced Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to resign and flee the country on August 5.

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