Court Correspondent :
Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) yesterday pressed charges against former Jubo League leader Ismail Hossain Chowdhury Samrat, an alleged kingpin of illegal casino business, in a case filed under the Narcotics Control Act.
Samrat’s accomplice Enamul Haque Arman was also charged in the same case.
RAB SI Abdul Halim, who is the Investigation Officer of the case submitted the charge sheet to the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) Court of Dhaka. The CS shows 20 persons as prosecution witnesses.
Earlier, on October 15, Samrat was put on 10-day remand in the cases filed under the Arms and Narcotics Control Act, while Arman remand for five days in the drug case. Samrat was earlier charged with the case filed for possessing a pistol with five bullets at his Kakrail office. He was also placed on remand in a case filed for amassing illegal wealth.
On October 6, RAB arrested Samrat, the then President of Dhaka South Jubo League and his close aide Enamul Haque Arman, former Vice-President of the same unit from Cumilla, raiding a house close to the Indian border.
Samrat was then brought to the capital and the elite force conducted operations at various establishments where the Jubo League leader either lived or carried out political and business activities.
Besides, RAB took Samrat to his political office in Kakrail, where he had been reportedly staying since crackdown against the casino began on September 18.
Following a five-hour search at the office, the elite force at a press briefing, said it seized two electric machines used for torturing people, a pistol with five bullets, two hides of Kangaroo, 1,160 pieces of Yaba and 19 bottles of foreign liquor from there.
A RAB mobile court, led by Executive Magistrate Sarwor Alam, sentenced Samrat to six months’ imprisonment for possessing wild animal hides and another six months for possessing illegal liquor.
RAB filed the two cases against him with Ramna Police Station under the Arms and Narcotics Control Acts on the next day.
According to the sources and media reports, Samrat, along with several hundred of his supporters, dug in at his Kakrail office soon after the drive started on September 18.
