The Supreme Court (SC) today (Feb 22) upheld a High Court order that granted bail to expelled Jubo League leader SM Golam Kibria Shamim, known as GK Shamim, who was sentenced to life imprisonment in an arms case.

A five-member bench of the Appellate Division of the SC headed by Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan passed the order.

At the same time, the bench also scrapped a petition filed by the state challenging the HC's bail order.

The apex court also asked the HC bench led by Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder to hear and dispose of the appeal -- in two months -- filed by GK Shamim against the trial court judgment that convicted and sentenced him in the case.

However, Shamim cannot get released from jail at this moment as he is arrested in three other cases.

Deputy Attorney General Sarwar Hossain Bappi represented the state during hearing of the petition.

On September 20, 2019, Rapid Action Battalion conducted raids at the house and office of GK Shamim, who was an influential contractor of the Public Works Department and other government organisations, 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.

The elite force members then arrested him on charges of extortion and tender manipulation. His bodyguards were also arrested then.

The next day, Rab filed a case with Gulshan Police Station under the Arms Act.

On September 25, 2022, a Dhaka tribunal sentenced GK Shamim and seven of his bodyguards to life imprisonment in the arms case.

BDST: 1329 HRS, FEB 22, 2024
MSK/SMS