He siphoned off Tk 195cr to Singapore, Malaysia

CID on Samrat

Expelled Jubo League leader Ismail Chowdhury Samrat, one of the "casino kingpins" in Dhaka, siphoned off Tk 195 crore to Singapore and Malaysia with the help of Enamul Haque Arman, another leader of the ruling party's youth wing, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of police found in an investigation.

The CID filed a case against the duo under the Money Laundering Act with Ramna Police Station yesterday, Jisan Haque, ASP (media) of CID, confirmed the matter.

In its investigation, the CID found that Samrat, 49, had visited Singapore 35 times, Malaysia three times, Dubai two times, and Hong Kong once between 2011 to 2019, according to the case statement.

In those eight years, Samrat's associate Arman, 56, also visited Singapore 23 times.

In the FIR, the CID mentioned that Samrat earned money through various illegal activities in Motijheel, Fakirapool, Paltan, and Kakrail areas.

On October 6, 2019, Rapid Action Battalion arrested Samrat, who was the president of Dhaka South unit Jubo League, and his close aide Arman, former vice-president of the same unit, from Cumilla after raiding a house near the Indian border.

He came under the spotlight after Rab busted his illegal casino business at different sporting clubs in Dhaka and later was expelled from the Jubo League.

Samrat was then brought to the capital, and the elite force conducted operations at various establishments where the Jubo League leader either lived or carried out political and "business" activities.

Rab also took Samrat to his political office in Kakrail, where he had stayed after the crackdown began on September 18 last year.

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.

The Anti-Corruption Commission also filed two cases against Samrat and Arman for amassing wealth through illegal means.