Shahed’s 2 more associates arrested

Rapid Action Battalion on Friday arrested two more associates of Regent Group chairman Md Shahed in connection with issuing over 6,000 fake coronavirus test reports at two branches of Regent Hospital.

The RAB arrested Giash Uddin Jalal, 61, brother-in-law of Regent Group managing director Masud Parvez and driver Mahmudul Hasan, 40, in Ashulia of Dhaka along with Shahed’s vehicle and cheque books of 48 banks.

A Dhaka judicial magistrate court placed Gias Uddin Jalali and his driver private car driver Mahmudul Hasan on-one day police remand in connection with a drug case.

Dhaka senior judicial magistrate Monika Khan passed the order while Ashulia police station police produced them before the court seeking five-day police remand in a Yaba and phensedyl recovery case.

Meanwhile, the Detective Branch of Dhaka Metropolitan Police on Thursday started formally interrogating Regent Group chairman Md Shahed and two of his associates — Masud and Tarik.

They told police that the equipment they used in issuing fake coronavirus test reports at two branches of Regent Hospital had been removed before the drive began on July 6.

RAB arrested Shahed from Satkhira border on Wednesday. Masud and Tarik were arrested earlier from the hospital.

Shahed was accused in over 50 cases filed with different police stations, mostly related to business fraud and fraudulence against individuals.

Regent Group chairman Md Shahed used to tempt police officials, referring his connections with high ups and TV talk-show appearances, a number of senior police officials said.

Talking to New Age, at least three former deputy commissioners of police said they knew Shahed was ‘a cheat’, but his apparent connection with high-ups often thwarted initiatives to take any action against him.

‘After I joined the Uttara police office, Shahed introduced himself as chairman of Regent Group and asked whether I watched his talk-shows. He tried to convince me about why I should watch his talk-shows. Since then, I avoided him,’ said the then Uttara’s deputy commissioner of police Bidhan Tripura, now posted at the police headquarters. Bidhan was in Uttara between 2015 and 2017.

An additional deputy inspector general of police told New Age that when he was posted at Uttara, he closed many hotels on complaint of running brothel at the hotels.

‘Then I received a call from Shahed. He asked whether I watched him on talk-shows. Then, he asked me to open the hotels and asked whether the police have authority to seal any hotel,’ the official said, adding, ‘then I checked his background and found he cheated many people.’

He also said that he saw Shahed was sitting with senior police officials at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport recently. The seniors advised him to help Shahed if he sought.

Talking to New Age, former DMP commissioner Asaduzzaman Miah on Friday termed Shahed ‘a cheat’, and said that in social gatherings the man used to meet dignitaries to take picture.

The then commissioner also said that police were much aware of his cheating beforehand.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net