The anti-crime elite force Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) forces on Wednesday arrested a top city Jubo League leader from Gulshan area in connection with operating an illegal casino. The arrestee has been identified as Khalid Mahmud Bhuiyan, organising secretary of Dhaka South city unit of Jubo League. He is also president of Youngmen’s Club, Fakirerpool where the casino was being illegally run.
According to the local sources, Khalid was once a notorious cadre of banned Freedom Party. Later he joined BNP backed Jubo Dal and became a follower of Mirza Abba, a BNP standing committee member. When Awami League came to power, he surprisingly joined AL’s youth wing Jubo League. He had also managed to climb and secure the highest position in the organisation after he had reportedly influenced a presidium member of AL.
Law enforcing agencies told this correspondent that Khalid had hired some girls from Nepal to run the casino business. Security guards were also brought from Nepal. The arrest came after a RAB mobile court detained 142 people from the casino. Contacted, Director (Legal and Media) of the RAB Headquarters Lt Col Sarwar- Bin-Kashem said that the elite force had picked up Khalid at around 7:30pm.
He also said a RAB mobile court, led by its executive magistrate Sarower Alam, conducted a drive at the casino in the evening and detained 142 people. According to media reports, there are 60 illegal casinos in the capital. RAB Executive Magistrate Sarwar Alam said that as of now 142 people, including two women, have been detained from the spot.
"Around Tk24.29 lakh cash and huge number of gambling equipment have been seized from the club. The operation is still on (till writing of this report at 9pm)," he added. "The casino belongs to Jubo League's Dhaka (South) city unit Organizing Secretary Khalid Mahmud Bhuiyan," the magistrate confirmed.
