Anti-casino drive: Lokman, Shafiqul freed on bail

Two among the 12 people including ruling party leaders, arrested during an anti-casino drive last year, have been released on bail recently, according to jail authorities.

They are Mohammedan Sporting Club director (director-in-charge) Lokman Hossain Bhuiyan and Kalabagan Krira Chakra president and former Krishak League leader Shafiqul Alam Firoz. They were released on 19 March and 1 January respectively, jail authorities confirmed to Prothom Alo.

Krishak League is an associate body of the ruling Awami League.

Lokman and Shafiqul were respectively in Kashimpur-1 jail and Dhaka Central Jail. The 10 others are now lodged in different jails.

Meanwhile, the expelled president of Dhaka Metropolitan South Jubo League Ismail Hossain Chowdhury Samrat has completed the six-month term in jail handed by a mobile court in a case filed with the Ramna police station. Jailer Mahabubul Islam of Dhaka Central Jail has confirmed this to Prothom Alo.

Sarwar Bin Kashem, director of the legal and media wing of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), told Prothom Alo that all the investigations against the accused are not over yet.

Notably, RAB arrested Lokman Hossain Bhuiyan from his house in Manipuripara, Tejgaon on 25 September last year.

Earlier on 22 September, Shafiqul Alam was arrested from Kalabagan Sports Club. After his arrest, a case was filed against him under the Narcotics Control Act with the Tejgaon police station. A charge-sheet has been filed in the case recently. RAB filed a case against Shafiqul Alam in Kalabagan police station under the Arms and Narcotics Act.

RAB arrested 12 people, including Jubo League leader Samrat, in an anti-casino operation that started on 18 September and lasted till 31 October last year. After the arrest, Samrat was expelled from the youth wing of ruling Awami League.

RAB's mobile court sentenced Samrat to six months in prison on 6 October. Two cases were filed against him and his associate Arman under the Narcotics and Arms Act with the Ramna police station.

Jailer Mahabubul Islam said, Samrat’s six-month sentence has recently ended. Now he is in this jail in a case filed with Ramna police station.

RAB launched an anti-casino operation in Dhaka from 18 September last year. Four clubs were sealed for running illegaly casino on the day.

Khaled Mahmud Bhuiyan, organising secretary of Dhaka Metropolitan South unit Jubo League, owned the casino operating in Young Men's Club. He was arrested from Gulshan on the night.

According to the jail authorities, Khaled, Selim Pradhan, councillor Tarekuzzaman Rajib and Habibur Rahman Mizan, who were arrested in the casino case, are in Kashimpur jail.

Contractor and Jubo League leader Golam Kibria Shamim (GK Shamim) is undergoing treatment in jail while Jubo League leader Arman, councillor Moinul Haque (Manju), Awami League leaders Enamul Bhuiyan and Rupon Bhuiyan are in different jails, they said.

The report has been rewritten in English by Fajana Liakat.