Dhaka court accepts charges against Regent Group Chairman Shahed, 13 others

Bangladesh desk: A Dhaka court has taken cognisance of the charges against Regent Group Chairman Mohammad Shahed, its MD Masud Parvez and 12 others in a case filed over issuing fake Covid-19 certificates and illegally charging patients for testing and treatment.

The 12 other charge-sheet accused are Regent Group Public Relations Officer Tariqul Islam Shibli, project officer Rakibul Islam Sumon, human resources officer Amit Banik, health technologist Hatim Ali, administrative officer Ahsan Habib Majumder, Regent Hospital Uttara Branch Managing Director Md Mizanur Rahman, employees Abdur Rashid Khan Jewel, Shimul Parvez, Dipayan Basu, Polash Ali, Shaykhul Islam and driver Abdus Salam.

Metropolitan Magistrate Mohammad Jashim yesterday accepted the charges brought against them after scrutinising the case dockets and other relevant documents.

The magistrate issued arrest warrants against four fugitives, Shimul, Dipayon, Shaykhul, and Polash Ali, and directed officer-in-charge of Uttara West Police Station to submit an update on execution of arrest warrants against them by October 12.

The names of two other accused, Ahsan Habib Hasan and Mahbub Hossain Mollah, were not included in the charge sheet as the investigation officer did not find any evidence against them.

In the charge sheet, 40 people have been named as prosecution witnesses.

On July 7 last year, a case was filed against Shahed and 15 others over issuing fake Covid-19 test reports and charging people unfairly for testing and treatment.

Shahed was arrested in Satkhira on July 15 last year when he was trying to leave the country by a boat.

He was sentenced to life imprisonment in an arms case on September 28 last year.

On August 18, 2010, he was sentenced to six month’s imprisonment and fined Tk 53 lakh by a court in absentia in a cheque dishonour case.