Alleged casino kingpin and expelled president of Jubo League Ismail Chowdhury Samrat paid tribute to the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on Friday.
This is the first time he appeared in public after being released on bail on Monday.
Samrat, once a very popular leader of Dhaka city, went in front of Bangabandhu Memorial Museum and placed a wreath at the Father of the Nation’s portrait accompanied by thousands of leaders and supporters of the Jubo League.
It caused traffic congestion in the Dhanmondi area for around three hours even during the weekly holiday.
Even though Jubo League expelled Samrat back in October 2019 for breaching party discipline and conducting unethical practices, he still has a lot of followers from the ruling party and the youth wing.
When asked, Samrat said: “I am an activist of the Awami League President Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and I will work as her follower.”
On October 6, 2019, the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested Samrat following a countrywide crackdown on illegal casinos.
RAB also raided Samrat’s political office in Dhaka’s Kakrail, where he had reportedly been staying since the crackdown began on September 18 that year.
After being imprisoned for around three years, Samrat was released on bail on Monday night.
Samrat was treated in the prison cell of the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University for a long time due to his physical illness.
Even after getting bail, he stayed at the hospital for the last three days.
On Friday, he first went to his mother's house in the capital’s Shantinagar from the hospital.
