NARCOTICS CASE: Charges against Samrat accepted

A Dhaka court yesterday accepted the charges against Ismail Hossain Chowdhury Samrat, a former Jubo League leader and an alleged kingpin of the illegal casino business, in a case filed under the Narcotics Control Act.

The court also accepted charges against Samrat’s alleged accomplice Enamul Haque Arman in the same case.

Metropolitan Magistrate Masud-Ur-Rahman gave the order after scrutinising the case dockets and other relevant documents. The court also ordered to transfer the case to the Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court for trial.

On December 9, Rab Sub-inspector Abdul Halim, the case’s investigation officer, submitted the charge sheet to the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court of Dhaka, showing 20 people as prosecution witnesses.

On October 15, Samrat was placed on remand for 10 days while Arman was remanded for five days.

Rab had pressed charges against Samrat in an arms case before. He was also placed on remand in a case filed over amassing illegal wealth.

Samrat, former president of Dhaka South Jubo League, and his aide Arman, former vice-president of the same unit, were arrested at Cumilla on October 6.

He came to limelight after law enforcers busted a number of illegal casino businesses at different sporting clubs in the capital.

Rab claimed to have seized torture tools, firearms, two Kangaroo hides, 1,160 yaba pills, and 19 bottles of foreign liquor from his office in Kakrail.

Two cases-- one for drugs and another over possessing firearms -- were filed against him with Ramna Police Station, while a mobile court sentenced him to six months’ imprisonment for possessing the hides and liquor.