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Some casino criminals still at large


Published : 29 Nov 2019 09:15 PM | Updated : 25 Aug 2020 08:05 PM

Although action has been taken against many stalwarts and a number of them are in custody following crackdown against casino and corruption, some accomplices of casino kingpins are still at large. Many want to see action against the criminals who had involvement in the illegal casino business. 

People of the country are satisfied with anti-casino drive as well as they are happy with performance of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government. The government arrested many casino kingpins during the ongoing crackdown. People will be more happy if other criminals as well as accomplices of the stalwarts come under action. 

Abdur Rashid Sikdar, senior vice president of Bangladesh Hockey Federation who is known as accomplice of sacked Ward Councillor of Dhaka South City Corporation AKM Mominul Haque Sayeed, is one of the criminals who is still at large although he has link to illegal casino business.

Mominul Haque Sayeed reportedly fled abroad after his name came up in the beginning of the crackdown when the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and police busted the casinos at Fakirapool and Motijheel in September. At that time, Dhaka Wanderers Club was closed for running casino business illegally. Gambling equipment were also found at Arambagh Club.

It was alleged that Mominul Haque Sayeed and Abdur Rashid Sikdar run the casino business at the area. In this backdrop, the government removed Arambagh Krira Sangha chief Mominul Haque Sayeed from councillor post, citing his absence at city corporation meeting as the reason. 

Many said that action must be taken against Abdur Rashid Sikdar as he was involvement in illegal casino operations in sporting clubs.

Rashid Shikder was born at a BNP-backed family at Maizgaon village under Bowltoli union at Louhajang upazila in Munshiganj. His father was a BNP leader, while his brother is now a member of the central committee of the BNP and his uncle Malek Sikder is former joint general secretary of the Louhajang unit of BNP who later joined Awami League and became chairman of Bowltoli Union Parishad.

Despite he came from a BNP family, Rashid Shikder suddenly joined Awami League and took the post of the Joint General Secretary and the General Secretary of Upazila Awami League. In the last upazila elections, he was the opponent of Awami League-nominated candidate although he was the general secretary of Upazila Awami League. 

It was learnt that he became rich over night by doing sand business illegally from the Padma River. He grabbed many plots of land of helpless people, poultry farm, pond and orchard. A person said that Rashid Shikder had threatened to kill a person at his union after joining Awami League.  Several cases were filed against Rashid Shikder.  When the correspondent tried to contact him over cell phone, he cut off the phone.