Culprits infiltrated AL: HT Imam
Prime Minister’s Political Affairs Adviser HT Imam yesterday claimed that six of the seven men, whose names have appeared in the casino business investigation so far, were “creations of” BNP leaders Mirza Abbas, Sadeque Hossain Khoka and Mosaddek Ali Falu.
“You [journalists] are saying it’s [the ongoing drives] against Awami League. But it’s not against Awami League. Awami League is a clean and transparent political party. The seven names that have surfaced in the casino business investigation so far, six of the seven are infiltrators... They don’t belong to Awami League,” Imam claimed.
He said the “demons of casino business” were created by BNP leaders, while speaking to journalists at Rajshahi Circuit House yesterday morning, after flying in to the city to attend a youth event organised by AL at Shilpakala Academy.
Information Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud was accompanying HT Imam.
The information minister told journalists that the “casino culture” was initiated in the country during the BNP era. “Khoka, Abbas and Falu had built this business,” he alleged, before leaving the circuit house for the programme.
He claimed BNP’s acting chairman Tarique Rahman, among several other leaders, used to get Tk one crore every month from these casinos.
“As the party’s top leaders were involved in the casino business, the BNP government did not take any action against them,” the minister said.
He said the prime minister has directed to take action against anyone involved in corruption and illegal businesses -- irrespective of their political background.
Asked why action against casinos was delayed, the minister said, “We are conducting a combing operation against them now.”
Comments