Papiya, husband jailed over Tk6.24cr wealth
Staff Reporter :
A Dhaka court on Thursday (14 August) sentenced former Narsingdi Jubo Mohila League leader Shamima Noor Papiya and her husband Mofizur Rahman to three and a half years in prison for amassing wealth worth Tk6.24 crore beyond their known sources of income.
Judge Mohammad Abu Taher of Dhaka’s Special Judge’s Court-3 also fined each of them Tk5 lakh, bringing the total fine to Tk10 lakh.
The verdict was delivered in the presence of the couple, who had been out on bail. Their bail was revoked immediately after the judgment, and they were taken into custody.
The case was prosecuted by ACC lawyer Mahmud Hossain Jahangir, while Shakhawat Ullah Bhuiyan represented the defence.
The Anti-Corruption Commission filed the case on 4 August 2020, months after the couple’s arrest by the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) on 22 February that year.
ACC Deputy Director Shahin Ara Momtaz lodged the case under the ACC Act 2004. Charges were framed on 30 November 2021, and the trial began soon after.
According to the charge sheet, between 12 October 2019 and 22 February 2020, Papiya stayed in 25 rooms at The Westin Dhaka, spending more than Tk3.23 crore in cash on accommodation, food, alcohol, spa services, laundry, and minibar expenses.
Investigators said she spent an additional Tk40 lakh on shopping, Tk30 lakh on house rent over five years, Tk1 crore on a car business, and Tk20 lakh in KMC Car Wash Solution in Narsingdi. The couple also deposited over Tk30.52 lakh in their bank accounts-none of which they could account for legally.
A RAB raid on their residence recovered Tk58.41 lakh in cash and a Honda CVA 2012 model car valued at Tk22 lakh, both of unexplained origin.
During the 7 August hearing, the ACC prosecutor sought the maximum punishment, arguing that the couple’s extravagant spending was grossly disproportionate to their legal earnings.
Defence counsel Shakhawat argued they were unable to mount a full defence, claiming the court had denied them additional preparation time.