Narcotics Cases: Charges against GK Shamim, Khalid accepted

A Dhaka court yesterday took cognizance of charges against SM Golam Kibria Shamim, a top government-listed contractor, and Khaled Mahmud Bhuiyan, an expelled leader of Jubo League, in two separate cases filed under the Narcotics Control Act.

Judge KM Emrul Kayesh of the Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court passed the order in presence of the two accused in the courtroom.

The court will start hearing on charge-framing against Khaled Mahmud on February 26 and against GK Shamim on March 25.

On November 6 last year, Rab SI Shekhor Chandra Mallick submitted a charge sheet against Shamim for possessing five bottles of foreign liquor at his Gulshan residence.  

Earlier on January 28, another Dhaka court framed charges against Shamim and his seven bodyguards in connection with an arms case. 

Rapid Action Battalion members on September 20 last year arrested Shamim on charges of extortion and tender manipulation. His bodyguards were also arrested.

On that day, the elite force members raided his house and office in the city’s Niketan and seized eight firearms, a huge amount of ammunition, fixed deposit receipt (FDR) worth Tk 165 crore, around Tk 1.8 crore in cash, a large stash of US and Singaporean dollars and some foreign liquor.

Later, Rab lodged three cases against Shamim with Gulshan Police Station.

On September 18 last year, Rapid Action Battalion arrested Khaled Mahmud from Gulshan residence for operating a casino.

Four cases were filed against Khalid, three with Gulshan Police Station and another with Motijheel Police Station.

The cases were filed under the Arms Act, Narcotics Control Act and Money Laundering Act.

On October 20 last year, Rab pressed charge against Khalid in connection with the drug case.

Meanwhile, the same court yesterday could not accept charges against Ismail Chowdhury Samrat in two cases filed under the Narcotics Control Act and Arms Act, as he could not be produced before court yesterday due to his illness.

Samrat, another expelled Jubo League leader, who was under the scanner for allegedly running an illegal casino at a club, is now at the Intensive Care Unit of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University.