Regent Group Chairman Mohammad Shahed, also known as Shahed Karim, who became widely known in 2020 over allegations of fraud and issuing fake COVID-19 test reports, has been arrested again in connection with a cheque fraud case.

He was arrested on Monday (July 20) from the ECB Chattar area in Dhaka by Cantonment Police Station in connection with a case filed with Pallabi Police Station in the capital.

Confirming the matter, Pallabi Police Station Officer-in-Charge Hasan Basir told Daily Waadaa on Monday afternoon that Shahed would be produced before the court.

Police said Shahed was first detained by officials of Mercantile Co-operative Bank.

Sub-Inspector (Operations) of Cantonment Police Station Subrata Debnath told reporters that at around 10:45am, officials of the bank first detained Shahed in the Mirpur ECB Chattar area after the matter came to the attention of traffic police.

Both parties were then taken to the ECB Traffic Police Box, after which Cantonment Police Station officers arrived at the scene upon receiving the information.

Officials of Mercantile Co-operative Bank informed police that Shahed had an arrest warrant in a Pallabi Police Station case over allegations of cheque fraud involving the bank and had already been convicted in the case.

Shahed, chairman of Regent Group and Regent Hospital, came to national attention during the coronavirus pandemic over allegations that Regent Hospital had issued COVID-19 test certificates without conducting tests, allegedly defrauding people and collecting money unlawfully.

On July 6, 2020, a mobile court led by Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) Executive Magistrate Sarwar Alam raided Regent Hospital's Uttara and Mirpur facilities.

The following day, on July 7, RAB sealed Regent Hospital and its head office on the instructions of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

A case was filed the same day with Uttara West Police Station against Shahed and 17 others.

On July 15, 2020, RAB arrested Shahed in Satkhira while he was allegedly attempting to flee to India.

He subsequently remained in prison for a long period in connection with multiple cases.

Shahed was released on bail from Dhaka Central Jail on September 4, 2024, after securing bail in all 96 cases filed against him, including five in which he had been convicted.