A Dhaka Special Judge Court on Thursday sentenced controversial contractor Golam Kibria Shamim, widely known as GK Shamim, to jail for five and a half years in a corruption case.
Meanwhile, his mother Ayesha Akter was acquitted in the case as the charges brought against her was not proved.
Md Rabiul Alam, Judge of Dhaka Special Judge's Court-4, issued the order.
The judge fined GK Shamim Tk 1 lakh, with an additional three months of imprisonment if the fine is not paid.
The court also ordered the confiscation of GK Shamim's illegal wealth, totaling over Tk 297 crore, in favor of the state.
The ACC filed the case on October 21, 2019, accusing Shamim and his mother of amassing illegal wealth worth BDT 2.97 billion. The case was investigated by ACC Deputy Director Md Salahuddin, who submitted the charge sheet on January 17, 2021.
Subsequently, the court framed charges against the accused on October 18, 2022.
Shamim was arrested on September 20, 2019, during Bangladesh’s anti-casino crackdown. Law enforcement officials seized BDT 18.1 million in cash, USD 9,000, FDRs worth BDT 16.5 billion, firearms, and liquor from his residence in Niketan, Dhaka. At the time of his arrest, his company, GK Builders, held contracts for 22 major government projects valued at BDT 60 billion, which were later canceled. Authorities also froze 194 bank accounts linked to him.
Following his arrest, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) filed a money laundering case against Shamim on September 21, 2019. In July 2023, Dhaka’s Special Judge Court-10 sentenced him to 10 years in prison under the Money Laundering Act, while his seven bodyguards received four-year sentences.
Additionally, on September 25, 2022, he and his bodyguards were sentenced to life imprisonment in an arms case by the Third Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court in Dhaka.
AL/TF
