Mother says Jubo League leader Samrat was ‘framed’, demands his release

Expelled Jubo League leader Ismail Chowdhury is the victim of a ‘plot’, his mother Sayera Khatun Chowdhury has said, adding the arms and drugs recovered from his Kakrail office were planted there as part of a ‘staged drama’.

Samrat’s family briefed the media on Saturday following his arrest on Oct 6 over his alleged links to the illegal casino business in the capital.

The Rapid Action Battalion or RAB subsequently launched a raid on Samrat’s office at the Bhuiyan Trade Centre with him in tow.

The elite police unit recovered a foreign pistol, 1,160 yaba tablets, 19 bottles of foreign liquor, two kangaroo hides and 'electrical equipment' to torture people, said RAB.

A mobile court handed Samrat a six-month prison sentence for possession of the kangaroo skins under the Wild Animal Protection Act and he was later sent to the Dhaka Central Jail in Keraniganj.

Two cases were also filed against him under the Narcotics Control Act and Arms Act with the Ramna Police Station.

But the police’s plea for a 20-day remand to grill Samrat in the cases was stayed after he was hospitalised for chest pains. He was sent back to jail after being released from hospital on Saturday.

"My son was arrested on Oct 6. No arms or drugs were recovered from the scene. But we saw in the media that he was taken to his Kakrail office and it was raided for four hours and 17 minutes. No-one from the media was allowed inside during the raid," Samrat's mother said in a statement.

"Samrat would never consume alcohol as the doctor suggested it may cause him death. He did not go to the office for 10 days prior to his arrest. His office was not secure."

"Some of the law enforcers were seen carrying bags with them while they took Samrat to the office as shown in the live telecast on different television channels. Those bags were not visible when they came out," she said.

She added the possession of kangaroo skins for which he was arrested does not fall within the ambit of the Wild Animal Protection Act, the statement said.

"Kangaroo is not a Bangladeshi wild animal. It's not found in the country. Charges can’t drawn under the Wild Animal Protection Act as the kangaroo was not shot in Bangladesh."

An expatriate Bangladeshi had gifted the kangaroo skins to Samrat, according to Sayera.

Samrat has been framed in the casino case due to ‘political grudge' and ‘personal enmity,’ claimed Sayera.

She also called on the prime minister to release him and save his life.

"Honourable prime minister, Samrat is just like your child and he is not an infiltrator in your organisation. As a mother, I urge you to forgive Samrat for his mistakes and release him. Please save my son's life by ensuring his better treatment."