Jubo League leader Samrat ordered to appear in court by Sunday

When the judge asked the defence lawyer about Samrat’s whereabouts, he said he had no idea

A court has summoned expelled Jubo League leader Ismail Chowdhury Samrat, who is out on bail in a money laundering case worth Tk 2 billion, to appear before it by Sunday.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Md Saifuzzaman issued the order on Thursday, said Public Prosecutor Muhammad Shamsuddoha Sumon.

The investigation report in the case was scheduled to be submitted on Thursday. Samrat's lawyer Afroza Shahnaz Parveen (Hira) appeared on his behalf under Section 205.

PP Shamsuddoha sought the cancellation of her appearance.

The judge asked the defence lawyer about Samrat’s whereabouts, but Afroza said she had no idea where Samrat was.

Then the judge said the hearing on the matter would be held by next Sunday.

Lawyer Afroza said, "There was an order that Samrat’s lawyer could appear on his behalf until the charges were framed. There is no scope to overturn the order.”

“It is not clear why such an order was issued at this point.”

Sub Inspector Rashedur Rahman of the CID's Organised Crime Division filed the case with the Ramna Police Station on Sept 12, 2020, alleging that Tk 1.9 billion was laundered by Samrat to Malaysia and Singapore.

According to the case complaint, Samrat amassed illegal wealth using his power and committing illegal acts in Motijheel, Fakirapool, Paltan, Kakrail and laundered around Tk 1.9 billion to Malaysia and Singapore with the help of his friend Enamul Hoque Arman.

Reviewing the suspects’ travel history, the case documents say that Samrat travelled to Singapore 35 times, Malaysia three times, Dubai twice, and Hong Kong once from 2011 to 2019. During the same period, Armaan travelled to Singapore 23 times.

Samrat, the former president of Jubo League’s Dhaka South unit, came under scrutiny over his alleged ties to the illegal gambling business after the Rapid Action Battalion busted casino operations in numerous clubs in the capital on Sept 18, 2019.

He subsequently went into hiding before being arrested along with Arman in Cumilla on Oct 6 that year.

The RAB later conducted a raid on Samrat’s office in Kakrail’s Bhuiyan Trade Centre with him in tow.

They subsequently recovered a foreign pistol, 1,160 yaba tablets, 19 bottles of foreign liquor, two kangaroo hides and “electrical torture equipment”.

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.