Bangladesh
Papia Papia: Trial in drug case starts
Dhaka, January 12: A Dhaka court has framed charges against expelled Yuva Mohila League leader Shamima Nur Papia and her husband Mofizur Rahman Sumon in a case filed under the Narcotics Act by Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station.
As a result of the formation of the complaint, the formal trial of the case has started. Dhaka Additional 7th Metropolitan Sessions Judge Amirul Islam framed charges against them on Tuesday (January 12th). At this time they demanded justice by claiming their innocence.
On February 22 last year, RAB arrested four people, including Papia, while they were leaving the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka.
The other arrested are Papia's husband Mofizur Rahman alias Sumon Chowdhury alias Moti Sumon (38), Sabbir Khandaker (29) and Sheikh Tayyiba (22). At that time, seven passports, two lakh 12 thousand 260 rupees in cash, 25 thousand 700 rupees in counterfeit currency, 11 thousand 91 US dollars and other currencies of different countries were seized from them.
After the arrest, a raid was carried out on the same night at Narsingdi's house and on the morning of February 23 at the Westin Hotel in the capital at the luxurious presidential suite booked in their name.
They also raided their two flats at Raushan's Domino Relive, a luxury building on Indira Road, 27, Farmgate area, carrying a foreign pistol, two pistol magazines, 20 rounds of ammunition, five bottles of foreign liquor and cash of Tk 57.41 lakh, five passports and three checks, foreign currency, 10 visa and ATM cards of different banks were seized by RAB.
In this incident one case was filed in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station under Arms Act, one under Narcotics Act and another under Airport Powers Act under Special Powers Act.
On September 10, the investigating officer of Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station filed a chargesheet against the Papia couple in a drug case.
Judge KM Imrul Kayesh of the Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court sentenced Shamima Nur Papia and her husband Mofizur Rahman to 20 years in prison on October 12 last year. The court also sentenced them to seven years in prison under another section of the Arms Act. The judge mentioned in the order that the two sections of imprisonment will run simultaneously.
