Charges framed against Papia, husband

A Dhaka tribunal yesterday framed charges against expelled Jubo Mohila League leader Shamima Nur Papia and her husband Mofizur Rahman Sumon in a case filed under the narcotics control act.

Papia and Sumon, now behind bars, pleaded not guilty and demanded justice after Judge Md Amirul Islam of the Special Tribunal-8 of Dhaka read out the charges to them.

Earlier in the day, the judge dismissed the couple's petitions, seeking discharge from the case and fixed March 1 for starting trial of the case.

On September 10 last year, Rab pressed charges against the couple in the drug case.

Members of Rab-1 arrested Papia, her husband Sumon, a former Chhatra League leader, and their two accomplices from Dhaka Airport on February 22 last year when they were trying to leave the country.

They recovered seven passports, Tk 2,12,270, fake notes of Tk 25,600, USD 11,481, 420 Sri Lankan rupee, 301 Indian rupee and two debit cards from their possession.

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

Later, two cases were filed with Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station under the arms and the narcotics control acts, while another case was lodged with Airport Police Station under the Special Powers Act.

Besides the three cases, two money laundering cases were filed against the couple.

On October 12 last year, Papia and her husband were sentenced to 27 years' imprisonment in an arms case.