Casino kingpin Samrat lands in jail in graft case

A Dhaka court on Tuesday sent expelled Jubo League leader Ismail Hossain Chowdhury Samrat to jail over a graft case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).

Judge Al Asad Md Asifuzzaman of Dhaka's sixth Special Judge Court handed down the verdict, said ACC Public Prosecutor Mosharraf Hossain Kajal.

Earlier in the morning, Samrat surrendered before the court and his lawyer Afroza Shahnaz Parveen Hira filed for a bail petition. 

On May 16, the ACC filed a petition in the High Court seeking cancellation of the bail of Samrat in the graft case.

On May 18, High Court cancelled the bail granted to Samrat in the graft case

The court also asked Samrat to surrender before a lower court within seven days, said Deputy Attorney General AGM Amin Uddin.

On May 11, the Dhaka court granted bail to Samrat in the graft case, paving the way for his release from judicial custody.

Judge Al Asad Md Asifuzzaman of Dhaka’s sixth Special Judge Court passed the order but with conditions — Samrat cannot leave the country without the permission of the court, has to submit his passport and also his health reports on the designated date.

Earlier, the same court turned down his bail plea in the corruption case filed by the ACC twice, on April 28 and April 13.

Samrat secured bail in a drugs case on April 11 and in an arms case and a money laundering case on April 10.

The expelled Jubo League leader has been undergoing treatment at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) since November 24.

On October 6, 2019, RAB detained Samrat and his associate Enamul Haque Arman from Chauddagram in Comilla.

RAB raided his Kakrail office later that day, seizing a huge quantity of foreign liquor, pistols and two kangaroo hides.

He was later sentenced by a mobile court to six months in prison under the Wildlife Conservation Act.

On October 7, Abdul Khaleque, deputy assistant director of RAB-1, lodged two complaints against Samrat at Ramna police station under the arms and the narcotics acts. Arman was also accused in the narcotics case.

On November 4, Shekhar Chandra Mallik, a sub-inspector, submitted a chargesheet against Samrat in the arms case.

On November 12, the ACC lodged a complaint against him for acquiring assets worth Tk2.94 crore beyond his known sources of income.

On September 12, 2020, Rashedur Rahman, a sub-inspector of the CID, registered a case against him at Ramna police station for laundering Tk195 crore to Malaysia and Singapore.

Lastly, on November 26 last year, the investigating officer in the case, Jahangir Alam, submitted a chargesheet in court.