Casino Crackdown Japan-Bangladesh Group chief detained, Lokman on fresh remand
Rapid Action Battalion officials on Monday afternoon offloaded a businessman named Salim Prodhan from a Thailand-bound flight and arrested him at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport over his alleged involvement in running ‘casinos’.
Salim is chairman of the Japan-Bangladesh Group and the Japan-Bangladesh Security Printing and Papers Limited.
He was about to leave the country after completing immigration formalities for Thai Airways flight TG322 scheduled to fly at about 1:35pm.
He was taken to the RAB-1 office, officials said.
According to Salim’s company website, he owns businesses in the USA and Japan, including chain restaurants, department stores.
He is also involved in machinery import and export and runs IT sector and telecom operations.
As stated in another website, his security printing and papers firm has made remarkable contribution to the growth of the national economy by ‘replacing imported security printed documents with its own products’.
‘We have taken him under our custody over his involvement in casino-related business,’ RAB spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Sarwar Bin Kashem told New Age without elaborating.
Salim also owns P24 Gaming Company Ltd, an online casino operation that was established in December 7, 2018, which grew faster than the Asian live casino businesses.
Meanwhile, a metropolitan magistrate court on Monday remanded Mohammedan Sporting Club’s acting director and Bangladesh Cricket Board director Lokman Hossain Bhuiyan for two more days in custody for interrogation in a case filed under the Narcotics Act.
Metropolitan Magistrate Asheque Imam passed the order after the hearing on the case.
Earlier on Sunday, the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit froze the bank accounts of Lokman and Kalabagan Krira Chakra president Safiqul Alam Firoz.
They have been in police custody after being arrested over their alleged involvement in running casino-like gambling centres.
Law-enforcing agencies have been conducting operations against individuals with ruling party links since September 18, which the government later termed as an initiative to attain sustainable development.
On September 18, the RAB started a sudden crackdown on gambling operations in the capital, shutting down once-popular sporting clubs like Youngmen’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 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, along with his seven body guards, for his alleged connection with Bhuiyan.
Besides, at least Tk 5.05 crore, 700 bharis of gold and six guns were seized from the houses of Awami League’s local-level leader Enamul Huq Enu, his associates and employees in capital’s Gendaria, Dholaikhal and Narinda areas on September 24.
None of them could be arrested.
News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net
