Charges pressed against Papia, husband in arms case

Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) today pressed charges against JuboMohila League's expelled leader Shamima Nur Papia and her husband Mofizur Rahman in an arms case.

Rab Sub-inspector Arifuzzaman, who is also the investigation officer of the case, submitted the charge sheet against the couple to the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court of Dhaka.

In the charge sheet, 12 people have been made witnesses and the IO said the charges brought against them were primarily proven and they should be brought under trial.

Rab-1 arrested Papia, her husband -- a former Chhatra League leader -- and their two accomplices from Dhaka's Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on February 22 when they were trying to leave the country.

The elite force members recovered seven passports, Tk2,12,270, fake notes of Tk25,600, USD 11,481, 420 Sri Lankan rupee, 301 Indian rupee and two debit cards from their possession.

Rab later raided Papia's Farmgate flats and recovered a foreign-made pistol, two magazines, 20 bullets, five bottles of foreign-made liquor, Tk 58,41,000 cash, credit and debit cards of different banks from there.

Later three cases were filed--two with Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station under the Arms and the Special Powers Acts while another with Biman Bandar Police Station under the Special Powers Act- 1974.

On February 24, Papia and her husband were placed on a 15-day remand each in three cases after they were produced before two separate Dhaka Courts.

Their accomplices—Sabbir Khondaker, 29, and Sheikh Taiyaba, 22--were placed on a five-day remand in a case filed with Biman Bandar Police Station.

According to the remand prayers, the investigation officers said the accused amassed considerable wealth through business of illegal weapons, drugs trade, smuggling, trading of fake currencies, extortion, lobbying and land trade.