GK Shamim sentenced to 5.5 years in jail for Tk 297cr illegal wealth

A Dhaka court today sentenced expelled Jubo League leader SM Golam Kibria Shamim, known as GK Shamim, to five years and six months in jail for amassing wealth worth Tk 297 crore illegally.

His mother Ayesha Akhter was acquitted as her involvement with the incident was not proven.

GK Shamim, a top government-listed contractor, is now in jail while his mother is on bail in the case.

Judge Md Rabiul Alam of the Special Judge's Court-4 of Dhaka handed down the sentence in presence of the GK Shamim and his mother at the courtroom.

In the judgment, the judge said the prosecution was able to prove the charges brought against GK Shamim undoubtedly and he was given punishment for committing such offences.

The judge fined GK Shamim Tk one lakh, in default of which, he will have to serve three months more in jail.

The judge directed the authorities concerned to confiscate Tk 297 crore earned illegally in favour of the state.

Earlier, the prosecution and the defence completed their arguments and the court recorded statements of 41 prosecution witnesses, including the complainant of the case.

The same court framed charges against the two with Shamim's presence at the courtroom on October 18 of 2022 while mother was absent. But she got bail in the case after her surrender before the court later.

On February 6 of 2021, Deputy Director of Anti-Corruption Commission Md Salahuddin, also investigation officer of the case, submitted the charge sheet to the Senior Special Judge's Court of Dhaka.

The ACC filed the case against GK Shamim and his mother on October 21, 2019 for accumulating illegal wealth worth Tk 297 crore. But the investigation agency found involvement of accruing illegal wealth of Tk 300 crore, according to the charge sheet.

The elite force arrested Shamim and his seven bodyguards after raiding his house and office in Dhaka's Niketon on September 20, 2019.

On September 20, 2019, Rab conducted raids on GK Shamim's house and office in the city's Niketan and seized eight firearms, a huge amount of ammunition, fixed deposit receipts worth Tk 165 crore, around Tk 1.8 crore in cash, a large stash of US and Singaporean dollars and some foreign liquor.

On July 17 of 2023, another Dhaka court sentenced GK Shamim to 10 years in imprisonment in a case filed over laundering Tk 195 crore to Singapore and Malaysia.

On September 25 of 2022, GK Shamim and seven of his bodyguards were sentenced to life imprisonment in an arms case.