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Published : 27 Mar 2025, 12:35 PM
A Dhaka court has jailed controversial government contractor SM Golam Kibria Shamim for five and a half years in a case over possession of wealth beyond known sources of income.
Judge Md Rabiul Alam of the Dhaka's Fourth Special Judge's Court delivered the verdict on Thursday.
Alongside the rigorous prison sentence, Shamim received a fine of Tk 100,000. Failure to pay it off will result in another three months' imprisonment.
The court also ordered the confiscation of his "illegally acquired" movable and immovable assets worth Tk 2.97 billion.
The court acquitted Shamim's mother Ayesha Akter, who was also accused in the case, citing a “lack of evidence”.
They were also accused of money laundering under another section of the case. The court acquitted both as the allegations were "not proved”.
GK Shamim was brought to the court from jail for the sentencing. Ayesha, however, who had secured bail in the case, was not present in the court.
ACC lawyer Mir Ahmed Ali Salam said, "We are not fully satisfied with the verdict. After receiving the full order, a decision will be made consulting with the commission about whether to appeal against the verdict."
On the other hand, Shamim's lawyer Borhan Uddin said: "We are upset with the verdict and will move the High Court to appeal.
“There are some loopholes in the case that may benefit us. His five-and-a-half-year sentence is also almost over. But we are resolved to go to the High Court."
ACC Deputy Director Md Salahuddin initiated the case against Shamim and his mother for amassing Tk 2.97 billion in illegal wealth on Oct 21, 2019. The plaintiff himself investigated the case.
According to the report, Shamim owned immovable assets worth Tk 500 million in the 2018-2019 fiscal year. Of this, Tk 402.1 million was mentioned in his income tax documents, but the anti-graft watchdogs failed to trace a legal source for the total amount.
In addition, the ACC did not find any legitimate source of Tk 18.1 million in cash, foreign currency worth Tk 747,000, fixed-deposit savings worth Tk 1.65 billion in the name of Shamim and his mother, business shares worth Tk 435.7 million in his mother’s name, and movable assets worth Tk 363.5 million in the name of GKB & Co shares, cars and FDR savings recovered from his house.
After the investigation report was approved on Dec 22, 2020, ACC submitted the charge sheet to the court on Jan 17 the following year.
On Oct 18, 2022, the court indicted Shamim and his mother and ordered the trial to start.
On Mar 20, 2024, at the end of presenting arguments, the verdict was scheduled for Jan 30 this year but it was deferred afterwards.
The investigation officer was re-examined at the request of the lawyer of the accused. The court later fixed Mar 27 for the hearing.
Shamim, who made a fortune as a contractor and identified himself as a Jubo League leader, was arrested by the Rapid Action Battalion following a raid on his business in Dhaka’s Niketon in 2019.
The elite force seized about Tk 8.1 million and $95,000 in cash, Tk 1.65 billion worth of FDR savings, 32 chequebooks, eight firearms, and liquor during the raid amid a crackdown on the illegal casino business.
At the time of his arrest, Shamim's firm GK Builders was the contractor of at least 22 construction projects, including new buildings for the RAB Headquarters, the Secretariat and several hospitals.
The cost of the projects was Tk 60 billion. The work orders of the projects were cancelled later. A total of his 194 bank accounts were frozen.
Shamim was also accused in three cases filed under narcotics, money laundering, and arms acts.
He and seven of his bodyguards were sentenced to life imprisonment in 2022 in a case filed under the Arms Act. The following year, Shamim was sentenced to 10 years in prison and his seven bodyguards to four years each in a money laundering case.
