Regent Hospital Chairman Mohammad Shahed Karim has been shown arrested in a new case filed over allegations of acquiring illegal assets worth Tk71,87,265 and money laundering.
Judge Mohammad Abdullah Al Mamun of Dhaka Special Judge Court-5 issued the order on Monday following an application submitted by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
ACC lawyer Delwar Jahan Rumi confirmed the court order.
On the same day, Shahed’s defence lawyer, Dabir Uddin, filed a bail application, but no hearing was held on the plea.
According to case documents, ACC Deputy Director Md Farid Ahmed Patwary filed the First Information Report (FIR) as plaintiff on 7 March 2021.
Following an investigation, ACC Assistant Director Mohammad Ziatul Islam submitted the charge sheet in court against Shahed and his wife, Sadia Arabi, on 10 January 2024.
The charge sheet details that in her asset declaration submitted to the ACC on 28 December 2020, Sadia reported movable and immovable assets totalling Tk61,30,000.
However, official verification and investigation uncovered total assets worth Tk76,23,625 in her name, revealing that she had concealed asset information valued at Tk14,93,625 and provided false statements.
Moreover, including family expenditure of Tk1,80,000, the total value of assets acquired by Sadia reached Tk78,23,625. In contrast, her income tax records indicated an acquired income of only Tk4,50,000.
As a result, movable and immovable assets amounting to Tk73,53,625 were established as being outside her tax records and beyond her known sources of income.
The investigation further disclosed that Sadia had no independent, reliable source of income. Her husband, Shahed, directly assisted her in acquiring these assets by transferring, converting, and concealing funds earned through illegal and corrupt means in his wife’s name.
An application to frame charges against the couple was submitted as offences were proved under Sections 26(2) and 27(1) of the Anti-Corruption Commission Act, 2004, Section 4(2) of the Money Laundering Prevention Act, 2012, and Section 109 of the Penal Code.
Shahed is a convicted offender in several cases involving fraud and forgery, facing active warrants in various courts alongside convictions in an arms case and cheque dishonour cases.
Although released after serving a lengthy term in prison, he was recently re-arrested in connection with multiple cases.
Subsequently, Shahed was sent to prison after being shown arrested under a warrant relating to a one-year sentence of imprisonment and fine in a loan default and cheque dishonour case filed by Mercantile Co-operative Bank.
He remains in custody as sentences and warrants in various cases remain active.
