On a television talk-show, Md Shahed alias Shahed Karim, had once strongly declared that no one will be allowed to get away, even with any political identity. That video has now gone viral in social media.
It has been five days since the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) raided Regent Hospital, but Shahed Karim remains at large. The question has arisen, is he being allowed to get away?
Speaking to the media, home minister Asaduzzaman Khan on Friday said, “Members of the law enforcement will find him, but he himself should surrender. RAB and the police are looking for him. Hopefully we will find out soon.”
On Thursday rumours had arisen that Shahed has escaped to India through Hothatganj in Satkhira. Till Friday, however, the law enforcement could not confirm whether these rumours were true or not. Speaking unofficially to Prothom Alo, a senior officer of RAB said that nothing was impossible for Shahed.
Another officer said, Shahed has carried out a booming business in the name of coronavirus treatment. Money may be protecting him. He even sent a Tk 19.6 million bill to the health directorate. The directorate doesn’t have the authority to pass such a high bill and so sent it to the ministry. While the bill was being processed, everything came out into the open.
After HSC, he [Shahed]began studying law but didn’t complete it. He went to India and supposedly studied film and media studies at Pune there, but she [his wife] had never seen any certificate.
RAB’s legal and media wing director Ashique Billah told Prothom Alo, Shahed Karim will b caught at any moment. He said they hadn’t received any news about his crossing the border. The immigration authorities have been alerted so that he cannot escape.
Sources of Shahed’s family and in the law enforcement have said that there is no report of him contacting his family even after news of his father’s death. His father Sirajul Karim died of coronavirus on Friday.
Shahed’s wife Sadia Arabi told Prothom Alo that after he died, the body of her father-in-law Sirajul Karim was taken straight to Mohammedpur from the hospital. Sirajul would live with his brothers in a multi-storey building in Mohammedpur. He never stayed at his son’s Banani house. Shahed was his only son. Sadia Arabi said she did not know whether Shahed had even heard of his father’s death.
She went on to say she had an arranged marriage with Shahed. He would live with his grandfather in Mohammedpur from his childhood. After HSC, he began studying law but didn’t complete it. He went to India and supposedly studied film and media studies at Pune there, but she had never seen any certificate.
A professional physiotherapist and news anchor, Sadia Arabi told the media that she had once left her husband. There had been allegations against Shahed of opening an office in Dhanmondi and cheating people of their money. There were other such allegations, including among her relations. He was even three months in jail and then came out on bail. Then she became happy and proud with her husband when Regent was opened up for coronavirus treatment. She thought he was doing a great deed. She is now totally confused.
Associates on remand
The court on Friday granted five-day remand for Shahed Karim’s associate Toriqul Islam to be interrogated by the police. He has been arrested on several charges, including issuing certificates without carrying coronavirus tests. The police had appealed for a seven-day remand.
Prior to that, the court granted five-day remand for seven accused arrested in the same case. They are in police custody.
The seven accused now on remand are officers and employees of Regent Group. They include administrative officer Ahsan Habib, health technologist Hatim Ali, Regent Group’s project administrator Raqibul Islam, Regent Group’s human resources officer Amir Banik, Regent Group’s driver Abdus Salam and executive officer Abdur Rashid Khan.