Drug case: Court accepts charges against Samrat

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

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

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

Earlier on October 15, Samrat was remanded for a 10-day in the cases filed under the Arms and Narcotics Control Acts while Arman remand for five days in the drug case.

Samrat was earlier charged with the case filed for possessing a pistol with five bullets at his Kakrail office. He was also remanded in the case filed for amassing illegal wealth.

On October 6, Rab arrested Samrat, the then president of Dhaka South Jubo League and his close aide Enamul Haque Arman, former vice-president of the same unit, from Cumilla, raiding a house near the Indian border.

Rab also took Samrat to his political office in Kakrail area where he has been reportedly staying since the crackdown against the casino began on September 18.

Rab seized a pistol with five bullets, two hides of Kangaroo, 1,160 pieces of Yaba and 19 bottles of foreign liquor from there.

A Rab mobile court, led by Executive Magistrate Sarwoer Alam, sentenced Samrat to six months’ imprisonment for possessing wild animal hides and another six months for possessing illegal liquor.

Rab filed the two cases against him with Ramna Police Station under the Arms and Narcotics Control Acts on the next day.