Casino Crackdown Lokman, Firoz’s bank accounts frozen

The Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit on Sunday froze the bank accounts of Bangladesh Cricket Board director Lokman Hossain Bhuiyan and Kalabagan Krira Chakra president Safiqul Alam Firoz.

They have been in police custody following their arrest over their alleged involvement in running casino-like gambling centres.

Besides freezing their accounts, the bank accounts of their family members would also be frozen, a BFIU instruction sent to all the scheduled banks on Sunday said.

BFIU instruction was issued under the section 23, 1 (ga) of the Money Laundering Prevention Act, 2012 for 30 days.

The BFIU instruction also specified names of Lokman’s father Habibullah Bhuiyan and mother Ojifa Khatun for freezing their accounts for a period of 30 days.

Besides, it also specified names of Firoz’s father Idrish Ali, mother Anwara Begum and wife Rowson Ara Parvin for taking the same measures.

Apart from them, the BFIU also said that accounts of the people associated with Lokman and Firoz would be subjected to same measures.

Earlier on September 20, the Rapid Action Battalion arrested Firoz, also a former member of Krishak League’s central committee, along with four others and recovered a pistol and Yaba from the Kalabagan Krira Chakra club office in Kalabagan.

On September 25, Lokman, also the acting director of Mohammedan Sporting Club, was arrested by the RAB for his involvement in running the ‘casino’ in the sporting club.

The law enforcing agencies has been conducting drives against individuals with ruling party links since September 18, which the government later termed as initiative to attain sustainable development.

On September 18, the RAB started sudden crackdown on gambling operations in the capital, shutting down once-popular sporting clubs Youngman’s Club, Wanderers Club, Muktijoddha Chittabinodon Club, Muktijoddha Sangsad Krira Chakra and Golden Dhaka Bangladesh in the capital’s Fakirapul, Banani and Gulistan areas.

The RAB arrested Khalid Mahmud Bhuiyan, organising secretary of the Dhaka South Awami Juba League, on September 18 and he is now in police custody for interrogation. The RAB also arrested government contractor GK Shamim and his seven body guards in connection with Bhuiyan.

As part of the investigation, the National Board of Revenue on September 24 took the decision to freeze the bank accounts of Awami League lawmaker Nurunnabi Chowdhury Shawon and Juba League Dhaka South City president Ismail Hossain Chowdhury Samrat, their wives as well as scan their transactions.

The NBR’s Central Intelligence Cell also asked banks and financial institutions to provide detailed information about all the   transactions carried out by former Public Works Department chief engineer Mohammad Rafiqul Islam and its former additional chief engineer Md Abdul Hye, Juba League leader GK Shamim, his wife and mother and Juba League leader Khalid Mahmud Bhuiyan.

At least Tk 5 crore and 5 lakh in cash and 730 bharis of gold, and six guns were seized at the houses of Awami League’s local-level leader Enamul Huq Enu, his associates and employees in the capital’s Gandaria, Dholaikhal and Narinda areas on September 24. None of them were arrested. 

The seizure was made during a daylong operation conducted by the Rapid Action Battalion in connection with the ‘casino’ business operated by ruling party leaders.

RAB 3 officials said that they also seized six firearms and ammunition from the houses of AL leader Enamul, who is also a ‘shareholder’ of Wanderers Club, and his employee Abul Kalam.

The RAB personnel seized Tk 1.05 crore in cash, 730 bharis of gold ornaments, three shotguns and two revolvers from three vaults in two flats of his house.

The RAB also raided one of the flats of Enamul’s brother Rupam Bhuiyan, a vice-president of Gandaria upazila AL unit. Enamul is reportedly now abroad and Rupam on the run.

Both the brothers were partners in the casino operation at Dhaka Wanderers Club in Motijheel area, which was raided on September 18 and sealed off.

The elite force members in another raid on the house of Enamul’s employee Abul Kalam in Dholaikhal area seized Tk 2 crore in cash from a vault there.

On September 18, the RAB started sudden crackdown on gambling operations in the capital, shut down once-popular sporting clubs Youngman’s Club, Wanderers Club, Muktijoddha Chittabinodon Club, Muktijoddha Sangsad Krira Chakra and Golden Dhaka Bangladesh in capital’s Fakirapul, Banani and Gulistan areas.

The RAB on September 18 also arrested the owner of a gambling house at Fakirerpul Young Men’s Club, Khaled Mahmud Bhuiyan, from his Gulshan house, who is Awami Juba League city south unit’s organising secretary.

The RAB spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Sarwar Bin Kashem said as investigation was on, whenever anyone would be arrested the public would be informed.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net