Liquor, drugs, firearm, kangaroo hides seized in raid on Samrat’s office

The RAB has seized foreign liquor, yaba pills, a firearm and kangaroo hides in a raid on the office of Jubo League leader Ismail Hossain Chowdhury Samrat.

Senior Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 6 Oct 2019, 01:56 PM
Updated : 6 Oct 2019, 02:41 PM

The Rapid Action Battalion conducted the operation on the office of Samrat at Kakrail in Dhaka on Sunday afternoon after arresting him in Cumilla early morning with another leader of the organisation, Enamul Hoque Arman, over their links to illegal casino business.

The RAB recovered a huge amount of foreign liquor, over 1,000 methamphetamine-based yaba pills, a pistol and two kangaroo hides in the drive during which Samrat was present.

In a media briefing after the raid on Bhuiyan Trade Centre, RAB spokesman Sarwar Bin Quasem said they recovered some electrical equipment which they believe had been used for torture.     

Samrat’s homes at Shantinagar and Mohakhali DOHS, and Arman’s at Mirpur were also raided.

 

At Mohakhali, RAB-2 commander Ashik Billah said Samrat’s second wife Sharmin Chowdhury, her brother and brother’s wife live in the house.

Nothing suspicious other than some cash and credit cards was found in the house, Ashik said.

Quoting Sharmin, the RAB official said Samrat had not visited the house for several years, but he would send her Tk 150,000 every month.  

At Mirpur, the raid on Arman’s house was under way in the evening, RAB-4 commander Md Mozammel Haque said.

Samrat has been the subject of much speculation ever since RAB busted illegal casino operations in raids on Young Men's Club, Wanderers Club and Muktijoddha Krira Chakra in Motijheel on Sept 18.

On Sunday, RAB entered the office building with a helmet-clad Samrat in tow around 1:30 pm. Members of the elite force subsequently locked the main entrance and took up station in front of it.

All shops on the building's ground floor were shut as crowds of curious onlookers gathered outside.

According to some locals, Samrat would spend a large portion of his days at his office. In the wake of Jubo League leader Khaled Mahmud Bhuiyan's arrest on Sept 18, Samrat had holed himself up in his office overnight with his supporters surrounding the building.

He reportedly went into hiding a few days later after reports pointing to his involvement in the casino business.

A large portrait of Samrat's was found hanging on the walls of Muktijoddha Krira Chakra during RAB's raid. It has been alleged that he ran the casino operations inside the club.

According to reports in the media, Samrat would also collect a share of the money from the other casinos in Motijheel too.

Samrat, the president of Jubo League's Dhaka South unit, and his close aide Enamul Hoque Arman were arrested by RAB in Cumilla's Chauddagram Upazila early on Sunday morning.

Arman, who is the vice president of Jubo League’s Dhaka South unit, is also implicated in the illicit gambling business.

He recently ventured into the movie business in Dhaka, with the first film under the banner of his production house 'Desh Bangla Multimedia' releasing last Eid.

The two have been expelled by the Jubo League following their arrests.