Regent Group Chairman Shahed Sentenced to One Year in Prison

A Dhaka court has sentenced Mohammad Shahed Karim Chairman of Regent Hospital and Regent Group to one year in prison over a Tk23 lakh cheque dishonour case. Judge Md Ariful Islam of the 3rd Joint Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court delivered the verdict on Sunday additionally ordering Shahed to pay an amount equivalent to the bounced cheque's value.

Shahed is currently in police custody following his recent arrest on July 20 in Dhaka’s ECB Chattar area. Pallabi police apprehended him based on a warrant for a separate Tk2.16 crore cheque dishonour case filed by the Mercantile Co-operative Bank. This latest conviction adds to a long history of legal controversies for Shahed who gained nationwide notoriety in 2020 after Regent Hospital was caught issuing fake Covid-19 test certificates. He currently faces more than 35 cases involving fraud, illegal arms possession, and illegally acquired wealth.

Notably Shahed was previously sentenced to life in prison for an arms case in September 2020. However after securing bail across multiple cases he was temporarily released from prison in September 2024 after serving nearly four years, prior to his recent rearrest.