Regent Group Chairman Shahed handed one-year jail term in Tk23 lakh cheque dishonour case

A Dhaka court today (2 August) sentenced Regent Hospital and Regent Group Chairman Mohammad Shahed Karim to one year's imprisonment in a Tk23 lakh cheque dishonour case.

Judge Md Ariful Islam of the 3rd Joint Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court in Dhaka delivered the verdict, confirmed defence counsel Md Dabir Uddin.

In addition to the prison sentence, the court ordered Shahed to pay an amount equivalent to the value of the dishonoured cheque.

Dabir said the court had delivered the verdict in Shahed's absence on 3 May. Shahed was formally shown arrested in the case today on the basis of the conviction warrant.

Dabir said the complainant had also filed another case over the same incident before the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court on 16 July 2020.

"We were aware of that case, but we had no knowledge of the cheque dishonour case. As a result, the verdict was delivered in Shahed's absence," he added.

He further said that the defence sought bail after Shahed was produced before the court on Sunday, but the judge rejected the plea and ordered that he be sent to jail.

According to the case statement, Hafiz Uddin Bahar, proprietor of Bahar Traders International, filed the cheque dishonour case against Shahed on 26 July 2020, alleging that a cheque worth Tk2,318,358 had been dishonoured.

The complaint states that Shahed had entered into an agreement with the complainant to purchase construction materials.

Initially, he made partial payments in cash before switching to cheque payments.

On 10 December 2019, he issued a cheque drawn on Uttara Bank's Nawabpur Branch under Bangshal Police Station to settle the outstanding dues for the construction materials.

When the complainant presented the cheque for encashment on 5 May 2020, the bank returned it due to insufficient funds in the account.

n 2 June that year, the complainant served a legal notice, giving Shahed one month to pay the cheque amount.

After he failed to do so within the stipulated period, the case was filed on 26 July 2020.

Meanwhile, on 30 July, Shahed was granted 10 days' bail on a Tk5,000 bond in a separate fraud case after reaching a settlement with the complainant.

Shahed was arrested on 20 July in the capital's ECB Chattar area by Pallabi police based on an arrest warrant issued in a separate cheque dishonour case involving Tk2.16 crore, filed by Mercantile Co-operative Bank. 

He has remained in custody since then.

Shahed came under nationwide scrutiny in 2020 after allegations surfaced that Regent Hospital had issued fake Covid-19 test certificates.

He faces more than 35 cases, including charges related to fraud, illegal arms possession and acquiring wealth beyond known sources of income. 

On 28 September 2020, he was sentenced to life imprisonment in an arms case.

After securing bail in several cases, Shahed was released from prison on 4 September 2024 after nearly four years behind bars.