At least 30 more top ranking leaders and their cadres, including Dhaka City (South) unit Jubo League’s general secretary Ismail Hossain Chowdhury Somrat, linked with illegal casino and gambling businesses still remain untouched, although several key persons linked with such illicit business are in custody now.
According to sources, immediately after the drives were launched on September 18 against casinos and gambling, most of them have fled the country while others remain hiding in the country to avert arrest.
But, sources inside different law-enforcing agencies claimed that Somrat and other key persons linked to casino and gambling activities were under their surveillances. They will be picked up after the green signals from the policy makers, the sources claimed. Meanwhile, RAB Director General Benjir Ahmed on Friday said there is no reason to be impatient. While talking to journalists during a visit to a temple at Banani on the occasion of Durga Puja, the RAB boss said, they were working as per the directives from the government and different agencies are engaged in the anti-corruption drives.
A massive crackdown against casino and gambling was launched countrywide from September 18. During the drives, RAB arrested Khaled Mahmud Bhuiya, Dhaka City Unit Jubo League’s Organising Secretary, Jubo League leader GK Shamim, Mohamedan Club’s key person Lokman Hossain Bhuiya, Krishok League Leader Abu Kawsar, online casino kingpin Selim Prodhan, Gendaria Thana unit Awami League vice-president Enamul Huq Enu, his brother Rupom Bhuiya, also an AL leader, and several others on charges of running illicit business.
But, soon after the arrest of Khaled Mahmud Bhuiya and GK Shamim, their boss Somrat had taken shelter in his party office in the capital and mysteriously he went missing from the Jubo League office. He still remains traceless. Another top ranking casino leader AKM Mominul Huq Sayeed, who is a city councilor and also a joint secretary of Dhaka City unit Jubo League, is now said to be remaining in Singapore.
Three vice presidents of Dhaka City unit Jubo League--Sohrab Hossain, Sorwer Hossain Mona and Enamul Huq Arman-- also remain absconding. All those three persons were involved in the politics of BNP and Jatiya Party and later they joined Jubo League with the help of Somrat. Although Gendaria Thana unit Awami League vice-president Enamul Huq Enu and his brother Rupom Bhuiya, also an AL leader, were arrested by RAB, their elder brother Rashidul Huq Bhuiya, a vice-president of Wari Thana unit AL, their nephew Tamim Bhuiya, a local AL leader went into hiding to avert their arrest.
Another casino leader Kazi Anisur Rahman, who is known to all as ‘Sash Anis’ remains untraced. Besides, at least a dozen of close aides to Khaled and 8 aides to GK Shamim reportedly fled the country immediately after the arrest of their bosses. Khaled Mahmud Bhuiya and GK Shamim had been controlling the underworld and extortions with the help of those 20 cadres. Those two Jubo League leaders also used to launder money through those cadres. Those cadres were involved in many killings in the capital.