Kalabagan Krira Chakra President Firoz remanded for 10 days

Police have been granted 10 days to grill Kalabagan Krira Chakra President Mohammed Shafiqul Alam Firoz in two separate cases related to firearms and drugs after his arrest by RAB as part of the crackdown on illegal gambling establishments.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Mahmuda Akhter passed the order while dismissing his plea for bail on Saturday.

It came after Dhanmondi Police produced Firoz in court and sought 10 days' remand in each of the cases started by RAB.

Firoz, a member of Krishak League’s central committee and senior vice-president of manpower export association BAIRA, had tried to run for the Chandpur-5 seat in the last general election on the Awami League ticket.

RAB raided Kalabagan Krira Chakra in Dhaka on Friday as part of a government crackdown on illegal casinos. Photo: Asif Mahmud Ove

He was one of five people to be arrested during Friday's raid on the Kalabagan club, according to RAB.

The elite police unit said it seized foreign coins, playing cards and gambling equipment, casino-style scoreboard, a foreign-made firearm, three rounds of bullet and methamphetamine-based yaba tablets during the operation.

Asked why the four other arrestees were not named in the cases, Captain Ashik Billah of RAB-2 told bdnews24.com, "The four were paid staffers of Kalabagan Krira Chakra. It wouldn't have been prudent to charge them in the cases and there wasn't anything pointing to their involvement in the matter."

They were later released on bond.