Hunt for Shahed Continues

Immigration police have been asked to stay alert so that Regent Group Chairman Md Shahed, who is accused in a case over false Covid-19 certificates, cannot leave the country.

"We have received an official letter to bar him from leaving the country. We are acting accordingly," said an immigration police official at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.

"All immigration points have been alerted," he added.

Lt Col Ashique Billah, director of Rab's Legal and Media Arm, said they wrote to the investigation officer to take action to deter Shahed from fleeing the country.

"Drive is on to arrest him," he added.

Yesterday, Bangladesh Bank also asked all banks to freeze the accounts of the Chairman of the Regent Group and those of his business establishments for 30 days. 

Rab on Tuesday night filed a case against Shahed and 16 staffers of Regent Group and Regent Hospital after a mobile court found proof that the hospital authorities issued fake Covid-19 certificates and charged patients for tests and treatment, violating an agreement with the government.

The mobile court led by Executive Magistrate Sarwoer Alam sealed off Regent Group head office and two branches of Regent Hospital in Uttara and Mirpur.

According to Rab, the hospital authorities so far issued more than 10,000 Covid-19 test reports.

Around 4,200 of the samples were tested in different government labs. They threw away rest, prepared fake reports and gave those to patients without testing.

The hospital authorities took Tk 3,500 for each test, meaning they embezzled more than Tk 3.5 crore, despite having an agreement with the government to conduct tests and provide Covid-19 treatment for free, said Executive Magistrate Sarwoer Alam.

Meanwhile, the Directorate General of Health Services, which reached a deal with Regent for Covid-19 treatment though its licence expired in 2014 and was never renewed, has asked the hospital authorities to close its branches immediately.

Rab yesterday arrested Shahed's associate Tariqul Islam Shibli from Nakhalpara and seized some documents this morning, said Sujoy Sarker, assistant director of Rab's Legal and Media wing.

With Tariqul, Rab so far arrested nine persons in this matter. Seven of the eight others, who are Regent Hospitals staffers arrested during a drive on Monday, have been placed on a five-day remand. One arrestee is underage.

Lt Col Ashique Billah of Rab said they also had picked up Shahed's brother-in-law night for interrogation on Wednesday. "As he was not found involved with the Regent hospitals and the Covid-19 certificate scam, we released him [yesterday]."