The Rapid Action Battalion on Tuesday morning recovered Tk 1.05 crore five crore in cash, 720 tolas of gold and five firearms raiding the houses of two leaders, who are also the shiblings of ruling Awami League. The money, gold and firearms were recovered from the houses of Enamul Huq Enu, a vice president, and Rupom Bhuiyan, joint general secretary of the ruling party's Gendaria unit. But, none of the shiblings could be arrested as they already fled the country.
According to sources, RAB also detected 15 more houses owned by the two AL leaders in Dhaka. Much more money could be found from their other residences, said the sources. The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) conducted the drive as part of the cleansing move of the government and countrywide crackdown against casinos, bars and other illegal acts.
Acting on a tip off about illegal wealth, a team of RAB-3 conducted the drive around 10:00am at the two flats of a building in Murgitola area of Gendaria, said Mizanur Rahman Bhuiyan, a senior assistant director of the legal and media wing of RAB. Sources at the RAB said both the brothers had involvement in casino business at the capital’s Murgitola in Sutrapur.
Lt Col KM Shafiullah, the Commanding Officer (CO) of the RAB-3, said, “Those two brothers had hired five vaults to preserve their illegal money earned from the casino business.” “Both the brothers have purched several houses in the capital with the money earned through gambling”, said the RAB-3 CO and continued as saying, “They have five firearms, which had been used to frighten people.”
RAB-3 CO, Lt Col KM Shafiullah said, “Enamul fled to Thailand immediately after the anti-casino drive was launched on September 18. His brother Rupom is also on the run, but he is still in the country and the process to arrest him is on.” The RAB official also said they have information about several others leaders who have involvement in such casino and other illegal business.
Sources said, Enamul and Rupom have four more brothers and they had links to gamblings at Arambagh Club since 1985. But, they started purchasing houses one after another since last four years. Locals said they have around 50 buildings at Wari, Sutrapur, Gendaria, Bongshal and Kotwali. The drive against the illegal gambling facilities clicked into gear shortly after Awami League chief and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressed indignation over the activities of Jubo League leaders.
As part of the cleansing move, RAB and police arrested several influential leaders of AL, Jubo League and other wings of AL. Those detained ruling party leaders include, Khaled Mahmud Bhuiyan, an organising secretary of Dhaka City (South) Unit of Jubo League, Jubo League leader GK Shamim, and Kalabagan Krira Chakra President Shafiqul Alam Firoz, who is a Krishak League leader.
Besides, Dhaka City (South) unit Jubo League president Ismail Hossain Somrat has been banned from leaving the country for his alleged links to casino business and other illegal activities while around 100 other leaders of different front organisations of the ruling party have been kept under surveillance. The government also have frozen bank accounts of Somrat and ruling party lawmaker Nur-un-Nobi Chowdhury Shaon, Jubo League leader Khaled Mahmud Bhuyian, GK Shamim, Krishok League leader Shafiqul Alam along with their family members.
The law enforcers also launched crackdown on casino business and conducted raids on Young Men's Club, Wanderers Club, Muktijoddha Krira Chakra and other clubs including at Mohamedan, Arambagh, Dilkusha, Victoria and different bars and spa centres. The National Board of Revenue (NBR) also launched investigation into the irregularities and black money of those leaders in their accounts.
