Casino kingpin Samrat’s associate Khaled also released on bail
After the expelled president of Dhaka Metropolitan South Juba League, Ismail Hossain Chowdhury Samrat, another expelled Juba League leader, Khaled Mahmud Bhuiyan has also been released on bail.
Khaled Mahmud Bhuiyan was released from the prison custody of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University Hospital (BSMMU) on Thursday night after he secured bail in each of the seven cases against him, Dhaka Central Jail Senior Super Subhash Kumar Ghosh told The Business Standard.
Jail authorities said that the bail papers arrived in Dhaka Central Jail on Thursday evening, after which he was released around 10pm.
He was taken to BSMMU from Kashimpur jail for treatment a few days ago.
Dhaka's Divisional Special Judge's Court granted bail to Khaled on Thursday in the case against him regarding acquisition of assets other than known income. Khaled got bail in seven cases against him through the bail of this case by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
Khaled is a close aide of Samrat and the expelled organisational secretary of the Metropolitan South Juba League. Fakirapool Youngmen's Club president Khaled allegedly ran the casino and extorted money for Samrat.
On 22 August, the expelled president of Dhaka Metropolitan South Juba League, Ismail Hossain Chowdhury Samrat, has been granted bail in a money laundering case.
Dhaka Special Judge Court-6 Judge Al Asad Md Asifuzzaman granted him bail considering his poor health condition on a Tk10,000 bond after a hearing on 22 August.
Among the four cases against Samrat, he secured bail in a money laundering case and possession of arms case on 10 April this year.
On 11 April, he was also granted bail in a narcotics case. Then on 11 May, Dhaka Special Judge Court-6 Judge Al Asad Md Asifuzzaman granted him bail in a case for amassing wealth beyond known sources of income.
Samrat and his accomplice Enamul Haque alias Arman were arrested from Cumilla on 6 October 2019 in an anti-casino drive by the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB). At least 13 people including expelled Jubo League leader Khaled Mahmud Bhuiyan, and controversial contractor GK Shamim were arrested in that operation.
Police, RAB and the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed a total of 57 cases against these 13 people arrested including Samrat.
Out of 57 cases, charge sheets have been filed in 52 cases. But the trial process of most of the cases is going on at a slow pace with the charge framing yet to be done.
Asked on the delay in the framing of charges, Chief Public Prosecutor Abdullah Abu said that after the charge sheet was filed, the case was transferred to different courts for trial. Steps regarding charge framing will be taken in due time.
