Enamul, Rupon on four-day remand

A Dhaka court yesterday placed two alleged ringleaders of illegal casino business in the capital on four-day remand each, in connection with two separate money laundering cases.

Enamul Haque Enu, vice-president of Awami League Gendaria thana unit, was remanded in a case filed with Gendaria Police Station on September 25 last year, while Rupon Bhuiyan, joint general secretary of the same AL unit, was placed on remand in the case filed with Sutrapur Police Station on September 26.

The court also granted a three-day police remand to Sheikh Sunny Mostafa, an aide of the duo, in the laundering case filed with Gendaria Police Station.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Rajesh Chowdhury passed the order after Inspector Mehedi Maksud of Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of police produced the trio before the court with a 10-day remand prayer for each in the cases.

The CID on Monday arrested the trio from a flat in Dhaka’s South Keraniganj, where Enamul and Rupon took shelter after failing to flee the country with forged passports.

Enamul and Rupon, who allegedly ran a casino illegally in the capital’s Motijheel, went into hiding after law enforcers launched a crackdown on illegal casinos, bars, and spas in September last year.

Wanderers Club, of which Enamul was the director, was raided by Rapid Action Battalion on September 18, the first day of the crackdown.

The two brothers have 22 houses and plots in the capital, five cars, and Tk 19.11 crore in 91 bank accounts frozen by the Bangladesh Bank, according to case dockets and police. 

To operate the casinos, Enamul and Rupon hired several Nepalese nationals, law enforcers said, adding that the  brothers were “kingpins” of illegal casinos in the capital.

During last year’s crackdown, Rab found Tk 5.05 crore in cash, around 8.5kg gold, and six firearms in five lockers in their houses. Seven cases were filed against them.

The CID is investigating four money laundering cases against them.