Staff Reporter :
The High Court on Sunday withdrew two separate bail orders passed earlier granting bail to GK Shamim, a top government-listed contractor also known to be a Jubo League leader, in two criminal cases filed under Arms Act and Madok Drabbya Niontran Ain.
Two HC benches passed the recall orders on a Suo Moto (voluntary) move.
The reasons for which the HC passed the cancel orders could not be known, as the full texts of the orders have not been released yet.
The HC bench of Justice AKM Asaduzzaman and Justice SM Mozibur Rahman withdrew its earlier order that granted bail to GK Shamim in an arms case.
Later, another HC bench of Justice Rezaul Haque and Justice Bhishmadev Chakraborty also passed the withdrawal order in a narcotics case.
GK Shamim’s bail in the two cases has been cancelled following the HC order, said a lawyer who appeared in the court for GK Shamim. The contractor secured High Court bail for six months on February 6 this year in the case filed under Arms Act. The information of the bail order came to the media on Saturday.
In the meantime, the case was mentioned in the supplementary cause-list on Sunday for order. After a short hearing, the court passed the earlier order.
Deputy Attorney General (DAG) Md Fazlur Rahman Khan took part in the hearing for the state while advocate Momtaz Uddin Ahmed Mehedi and advocate Sawkat Osman appeared in the court for GK Shamim.
In the hearing DAG Fazlur Rahman said, “In the petition, bail petitioner’s name is mentioned as SM Golam Kibria but in the cause-list it was mentioned as SM Golam.” Then GK Shamim’s counsel advocate Momtaz Uddin said DAG Fazlur Rahman was not present in the court during the bail hearing.
In the ruling the presiding judge said, “There is a name mismatch in the cause-list. Because of this there may be confusion. We may have been mistaken that day. So, we have withdrawn the bail order.”
Earlier on February 4 this year, the High Court bench of Justice Rezaul Haque and Justice Bhishmadev Chakrabortty granted bail to GK Shamim for one year in a case filed under Madok Drabbya Niontran Ain, 2018.
This HC bench also revoked its earlier order on Sunday. At the same time the court rejected the bail petition and discharged a rule issued in this regard, said state counsel of the court deputy attorney general Zannatul Ferdous.
GK Shamim’s lawyer Momtaz Uddin told reporters that his client could move fresh petitions before the HC for bail.
On September 20, 2019, RAB arrested GK Shamim, 50, a top government-listed contractor and known to be a Jubo League leader, in connection with extortion and tender manipulation.
The RAB during its raid at his house and office seized eight firearms, a huge amount of ammunition, Fixed Deposit Receipt (FDR) worth Tk 1.65 billion, around Tk 18 million in cash, stash of US and Singaporean dollars, and some foreign liquor, officials said.
Law enforcers filed three cases against him on the following day — two cases were lodged under Narcotic Control and Money Laundering acts while another one was filed on charge of creating panic among people by brandishing firearms with the Gulshan Police Station. Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on October 21 last year filed another case against him.
On September 22, 2019, the National Board of Revenue (NBR) and the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) have asked all operating banks in the country to freeze all personal and institutional bank accounts of expelled Jubo League leader GK Shamim.
Meanwhile, a news had been published yesterday afternoon that the Chief Justice called for the records of the cases in which GK Shamim secured bail from the High Court. But nothing happened like that, said Md Saifur Rahman, a Special Officer of the High Court Division of the Supreme Court adding that it was just a rumour.
