Regent Group鈥檚 chairman Mohammad Shahed has been released from Dhaka Central Jail following an order by the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court.
Shahed had been granted bail in 96 cases, including one where he was previously sentenced to life imprisonment under the Arms Act following his arrest on July 15, 2020, in Satkhira.
According to a senior official of the Department of Prisons, Shahed鈥檚 release came at 5:45pm on Wednesday after the Appellate Division granted the bail pending his conviction for possession of illegal firearms.
This bail, granted on September 1, 2024, came as part of ongoing proceedings related to the government鈥檚 appeal against a High Court verdict that had acquitted Shahed of the arms charge.
On January 11, 2024, the High Court overturned the trial court鈥檚 verdict that sentenced Shahed to life imprisonment for possessing a pistol and ammunition.
The High Court鈥檚 acquittal was stayed by the Appellate Division on January 14, 2024, following a government petition challenging the decision.
Shahed was sentenced to life imprisonment by a Dhaka court on September 19, 2020, under the Arms Act after the police recovered a firearm and ammunition from his vehicle.
Apart from the arms case, Shahed faced a series of other criminal charges, most of which were filed for cheating for allegedly issuing fake Covid-19 test results and defrauding patients at Regent Hospital.
He remains on bail in 95 additional cases, including five cases where he was convicted on charges of fraud, forgery, and financial crimes.
Shahed was also convicted in absentia in a cheque bouncing case on August 18, 2010, where he was sentenced to six months of imprisonment and fined Tk 53 lakh.
He faced charges related to failing to submit a wealth statement to the Anti-Corruption Commission.
