Previously, on July 17, 2023, Dhaka’s Special Judge Court-10, presided over by Judge Mohammad Nazrul Islam, had sentenced JK Shamim to 10 years in prison under the Money Laundering Act. Additionally, his seven bodyguards were each sentenced to four years in prison and fined Tk 383.35 lakh (approximately $320,000). Failure to pay the fine within 60 days would have resulted in an additional year of imprisonment. Following the verdict, they were sent to jail with a sentence warrant.
On September 20, 2019, the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) detained JK Shamim along with his seven armed bodyguards from his office at 144, Road No. 5, Block A, Niketon, Dhaka, after an 11-hour operation. Authorities seized Tk 1.8 crore in cash, $9,000 USD, 752 Singapore dollars, fixed deposit receipts worth Tk 165 crore, firearms, and a significant quantity of foreign liquor. Subsequently, RAB filed three cases against Shamim for arms, narcotics, and money laundering violations.
The investigation, conducted by CID’s Senior Assistant Superintendent of Police Abu Saeed, concluded with a chargesheet submitted on August 4, 2020, against JK Shamim and his seven bodyguards in the money laundering case. On November 10, 2020, the court framed charges against the accused. Out of 26 witnesses listed in the chargesheet, the court recorded testimonies from 23.
According to the case allegations, Shamim, with the assistance of his bodyguards, openly carried, displayed, and used licensed firearms to intimidate people. He amassed substantial illicit wealth through tender manipulation, drug trafficking, gambling, and extortion at local terminals and cattle markets, operating under both his name and proxies.
Investigation sources revealed that JK Shamim and his family had stockpiled illegally acquired funds with the intent to launder them abroad. There was a risk that the accused could transfer or misappropriate these funds at any time. To ensure a thorough investigation, the authorities deemed it necessary to freeze bank accounts linked to the illicit proceeds. Failure to do so could have allowed the transfer of funds, undermining the legal process. These accounts reportedly held hundreds of crores of taka.
The High Court’s recent ruling, acquitting JK Shamim, marks the conclusion of one chapter in his legal battles.