Staff Reporter :
A Dhaka court on Thursday sent Regent Group Chairman Mohammad Shahed and its Managing Director Masud Parvez on a 10-day remand for each in a case filed over issuing fake Covid-19 test certificates and charging patients for the tests and treatment violating an agreement with the government.
Judge of the Metropolitan Magistrate Court of Dhaka, Mohammad Jasim, passed the order after hearing on two petitions placed by police seeking 10-day remand for each in the case.
Earlier on the day, SM Gaffarul Alam, an Inspector of Detective Branch (DB) of Police and Investigation Officer of the case, produced them before the court in a tight security
The court also granted 7-day remand for a staff of the organization and close accomplice of Regent Group chairman, Tariqul Islam, in the same case.
He was sent on a 5-day remand on July 10. After completing that remand the police produced him in the court with the Regent Group chairman and managing director and sought a 10-day remand for him too.
Mohammad Shahed and Masud Parvez were wearing bullet proof vests and helmets when they were brought to the court.
In the remand prayer, the IO said, as per the direction of Shahed and Parvez, the other accused prepared fake Covid-19 rest results and provided those to the patients.
Moreover, they charged patients for the tests and treatment despite having an agreement with the government on carrying out tests and providing treatment for free. So, they need to be remanded to find out vital clues behind such offences and to know whereabouts of others responsible persons, the IO added.
On the other hand, defense lawyer submitted a petition seeking bail for them along with cancellation of the remand prayer.
After hearing both sides, the court rejected their bail petitions and put them on remand for interrogation.
Advocate Nazmul Hossain and others took part in the hearing on behalf of the accused, while Public Prosecutor Abdullah Abu represented the state.
In the hearing, Abdullah Abu said that Shahed was playing with lives of people and through their activities they tarnished the image of the government at home and abroad.
But Mr Shahed said in the court that he did not commit any crime and RAB and police sealed off his different branches of his hospital unjustly.
The PP said that Shahed was crying in the court while speaking to the judge over his father’s death due to coronavirus infection.
RAB officials arrested Shahed from the border area of Debhata upazila in Satkhira around 5:30 am on Wednesday. Later he was flown to Dhaka by a helicopter and handed over to the Detective Branch of police.
Earlier a Dhaka court on July 13 issued arrest warrants for him in two fraud cases filed over misappropriation of Tk 3.68 crore.
Besides, Masud Parvez was arrested on July 14 from Gazipur.
Seven other accused were also sent to jail after they were interrogated for five days. The court also rejected bail petition of another 17-year-old accused and sent him to Tongi Juvenile Correction Centre as the IO did not submit any remand prayer for him.
The other accused in the case went into hiding since the case was filed against them.
On July 7, inspector Zulhas Mia of RAB-1 filed the case with Uttara West Police Station against Regent Gtoup Chairman Md Shahed, its MD Masud Parvez and 15 others.
In the mean time, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) directed the authorities of Regent Hospital to shut down their Uttara and Mirpur branches after a mobile court found discrepancies there.
A Dhaka court on Thursday sent Regent Group Chairman Mohammad Shahed and its Managing Director Masud Parvez on a 10-day remand for each in a case filed over issuing fake Covid-19 test certificates and charging patients for the tests and treatment violating an agreement with the government.
Judge of the Metropolitan Magistrate Court of Dhaka, Mohammad Jasim, passed the order after hearing on two petitions placed by police seeking 10-day remand for each in the case.
Earlier on the day, SM Gaffarul Alam, an Inspector of Detective Branch (DB) of Police and Investigation Officer of the case, produced them before the court in a tight security
The court also granted 7-day remand for a staff of the organization and close accomplice of Regent Group chairman, Tariqul Islam, in the same case.
He was sent on a 5-day remand on July 10. After completing that remand the police produced him in the court with the Regent Group chairman and managing director and sought a 10-day remand for him too.
Mohammad Shahed and Masud Parvez were wearing bullet proof vests and helmets when they were brought to the court.
In the remand prayer, the IO said, as per the direction of Shahed and Parvez, the other accused prepared fake Covid-19 rest results and provided those to the patients.
Moreover, they charged patients for the tests and treatment despite having an agreement with the government on carrying out tests and providing treatment for free. So, they need to be remanded to find out vital clues behind such offences and to know whereabouts of others responsible persons, the IO added.
On the other hand, defense lawyer submitted a petition seeking bail for them along with cancellation of the remand prayer.
After hearing both sides, the court rejected their bail petitions and put them on remand for interrogation.
Advocate Nazmul Hossain and others took part in the hearing on behalf of the accused, while Public Prosecutor Abdullah Abu represented the state.
In the hearing, Abdullah Abu said that Shahed was playing with lives of people and through their activities they tarnished the image of the government at home and abroad.
But Mr Shahed said in the court that he did not commit any crime and RAB and police sealed off his different branches of his hospital unjustly.
The PP said that Shahed was crying in the court while speaking to the judge over his father’s death due to coronavirus infection.
RAB officials arrested Shahed from the border area of Debhata upazila in Satkhira around 5:30 am on Wednesday. Later he was flown to Dhaka by a helicopter and handed over to the Detective Branch of police.
Earlier a Dhaka court on July 13 issued arrest warrants for him in two fraud cases filed over misappropriation of Tk 3.68 crore.
Besides, Masud Parvez was arrested on July 14 from Gazipur.
Seven other accused were also sent to jail after they were interrogated for five days. The court also rejected bail petition of another 17-year-old accused and sent him to Tongi Juvenile Correction Centre as the IO did not submit any remand prayer for him.
The other accused in the case went into hiding since the case was filed against them.
On July 7, inspector Zulhas Mia of RAB-1 filed the case with Uttara West Police Station against Regent Gtoup Chairman Md Shahed, its MD Masud Parvez and 15 others.
In the mean time, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) directed the authorities of Regent Hospital to shut down their Uttara and Mirpur branches after a mobile court found discrepancies there.
