Court Reporter:

A Dhaka court on Sunday (August 2) 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.

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.