The rise of 'casino king' Samrat

From his relatively humble beginning as a ward-level leader of the ruling party's youth front two decades ago, Ismail Hossain Chowdhury Samrat ascended to the post of president of the Jubo League's Dhaka South unit, all the while amassing a huge fortune allegedly through illegal gambling establishments.

Samrat, along with his 'best friend' Enamul Hoque Arman, also the vice president of Jubo League Dhaka, is believed to have masterminded the recently uncovered casino operations in the capital. They were both arrested by the Rapid Action Battalion in Cumilla's Chauddagram Upazila on Sunday.

Reports tying him to the gambling business surfaced soon after RAB busted illegal casino-style joints in Young Men's Club, Wanderers Club and Muktijoddha Krira Chakra on Sept 18.

In the wake of fellow Jubo League leader Khaled Mahmud Bhuiyan for running a casino, Samrat had holed up in his office in Kakrail as his supporters stood guard overnight. He subsequently went into hiding.

During its raid on the Muktijoddha Krira Chakra, RAB found a large portrait of Samrat hanging on the club's wall. He would also take a cut from the other casinos in operating in Motijheel, according to reports in the media.

A central Jubo League leader has shed light on Samrat's rise. Samrat, the second among three siblings, grew up in the neighbourhoods of Motijheel and Ramna. His father worked at RAJUK or the Capital Development Authority.

He became the joint secretary of 53 No. ward Jubo League in 1993. Awami League Presidium member Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim was the chairman of Jubo League at the time.

But Samrat grew reckless once he got the post of ward Jubo League joint secretary. He was even accused of beating up his own Ward President Lutfor Rahman.

The organisation decided to expel Samrat and three others over the incident but it was never implemented. Meanwhile, Samrat start frequenting the clubs in Motijheel.

“Samrat began to visit the central office more often after Jahangir Kabir Nanak and Mirza Azam were put in charge of Jubo League in its 2003 council," said the Jubo League leader, who did not want to be named.

It was then that Mohiuddin Mohi and Nurunnabi Chowdhury Shaon became the president and general secretary of Dhaka South Jubo League.

After a clash with Mohi, Shaon made Samrat the organising secretary to gain a foothold in the unit.

As a loyal aide to Shaon, Samrat used to control the tenders floated by Dhaka City Corporation after the Awami League-led grand alliance came to power in 2009.

Samrat rose to the rank of Jubo League Dhaka South president after Omar Farook Chowdhury became the chairman of the organisation in 2012. He made Arman his deputy, even though he was not an Awami League activist or affiliated to any of its associate organisations in the past.

Arman, known as a close aide to Samrat, is also implicated in the illegal gambling business.

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

Both Samrat and Arman refer to each other as 'best friends' on their Facebook accounts.

Samrat used to control tenders in government offices, including Matsya Bhaban, Water Development Board and Power Department under the jurisdiction of Dhaka North with Arman at his side, according to Jubo League leaders.

His two wives lived with their children in the capital's Shanti Nagar and Mohakhali DOHS, according to RAB. But not much is known about Arman's family.

Samrat and Arman were both expelled from the Jubo League following their arrests on Sunday.

RAB subsequently launched raids on his office in Kakrail and his two residences in Shanti Nagar and Mohakhali DOHS.