Doubts linger over how far casino probe can go | The Business Standard
Skip to main content
  • Home
  • Economy
    • Aviation
    • Bazaar
    • Budget
    • Industry
    • NBR
    • RMG
    • Corporates
  • Stocks
  • Analysis
  • World+Biz
  • Sports
  • Features
    • Book Review
    • Brands
    • Earth
    • Explorer
    • Fact Check
    • Family
    • Food
    • Game Reviews
    • Good Practices
    • Habitat
    • Humour
    • In Focus
    • Luxury
    • Mode
    • Panorama
    • Pursuit
    • Wealth
    • Wellbeing
    • Wheels
  • Epaper
    • GOVT. Ad
  • More
    • Subscribe
    • Videos
    • TBS Graduates
    • Thoughts
    • Splash
    • Bangladesh
    • Supplement
    • Infograph
    • Archive
    • COVID-19
    • Long Read
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Tech
    • Magazine
  • বাংলা
The Business Standard

Saturday
September 30, 2023

Sign In
Subscribe
  • Home
  • Economy
    • Aviation
    • Bazaar
    • Budget
    • Industry
    • NBR
    • RMG
    • Corporates
  • Stocks
  • Analysis
  • World+Biz
  • Sports
  • Features
    • Book Review
    • Brands
    • Earth
    • Explorer
    • Fact Check
    • Family
    • Food
    • Game Reviews
    • Good Practices
    • Habitat
    • Humour
    • In Focus
    • Luxury
    • Mode
    • Panorama
    • Pursuit
    • Wealth
    • Wellbeing
    • Wheels
  • Epaper
    • GOVT. Ad
  • More
    • Subscribe
    • Videos
    • TBS Graduates
    • Thoughts
    • Splash
    • Bangladesh
    • Supplement
    • Infograph
    • Archive
    • COVID-19
    • Long Read
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Tech
    • Magazine
  • বাংলা
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2023
Doubts linger over how far casino probe can go

Crime

Nurul Amin
23 September, 2019, 10:15 pm
Last modified: 23 September, 2019, 10:22 pm

Related News

  • UAE sets up gaming regulator, led by US industry veterans
  • De Niro at 80: Epitome of acting excellence serving as reel mirror to reality
  • GK Shamim gets 10-year jail in money laundering case
  • Verdict in money-laundering case against GK Shamim, 7 others on 17 July
  • Alhaj Textile chairman removed after ousted MD's lawsuit

Doubts linger over how far casino probe can go

Lawsuits have been filed against the arrestees on arms and drugs charges only

Nurul Amin
23 September, 2019, 10:15 pm
Last modified: 23 September, 2019, 10:22 pm
Casino equipment

Law enforcers directly involved with the investigation into illegal casinos are unclear about how to proceed with the investigation as a number of high profile names of politicians, law enforcement officials and former civil servants have cropped up. 

Lawsuits have been filed against the arrestees on arms and drugs charges only, restricting the law enforcing agency from pressing on with a charge-sheet over other grave issues, for example illegal casino business.

As a result, investigating officers, who are mid-level officials, might not advance further over the issue without a clear directive from higher authorities, according to an official involved in the investigation.

"We are in a fix over what charge-sheet to proceed with against these people. The probe officers cannot do much against them without clearance from the highest authority," the official told The Business Standard, seeking anonymity.

When criminals with strong connections are interrogated, they disclose names of some senior police officials, but mid-level police officials are not empowered enough to take any action against them, he said.

A mid-level official of the DMP's Motijheel zone said they were preparing to raid casinos about one and a half years back, but senior officials did not allow them to proceed. 

In this regard, Colonel Tofayel Mustafa Sorwar, additional director general of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), said the elite force of the Bangladesh Police is ready to investigate allegations against big names, if it is given the responsibility.

Meanwhile, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) on Monday formed a body – "Committee to Assist in Investigation" – t0 supervise probes into allegations against police officials for helping casino businesses, and for allowing their foreign staff to make a safe escape during drives in sports clubs.

The committee, headed by Mahbubur Rahman, joint commissioner of Detective Branch (DB), includes three DB officials as members, said Krishna Pada Roy, DMP additional commissioner (crime and operations).

Earlier, The Business Standard has obtained some CCTV footage showing some people in civilian attire helping several others get out of a casino safely.

Investigation officers anonymously said several police officers were aiding in the safe getaway of the casino staff who were Nepalese.

Meanwhile, detained Jubo League (Dhaka South) general secretary Khaled Mahmud Bhuiyan, while being interrogated on remand, told police that he has no illegal arms, according to sources.

About the contraband Yaba seized from his possession, Khaled claimed that he does not take the tablets, he consumes wine instead, sources added.

Shahjahan Saju, a police official involved in the interrogation, said that they have been quizzing the two arrested Jubo League leaders and have gleaned some sensitive information which they are verifying.

He refused to reveal more, but said police will disclose the information once the remand of the suspects is complete.

The RAB, on Wednesday, launched operations against casinos in the capital. Khaled Mahmud was held from his Gulshan residence on Wednesday night over alleged involvement in the illegal business.

A mobile court also jailed more than 200 people who were apprehended with large amounts of cash at the casinos. So far, the elite battalion of the police has combed seven clubs in the last several days.

The RAB on Friday arrested another central Jubo League leader, SM Golam Kibria Shamim alias GK Shamim, and seized more than a billion Taka from his residence and office.

A RAB-1 team seized Tk1.80 crore from his home, and Fixed Deposit Receipts worth Tk165 crore from his office in Niketan in the capital.

Meanwhile, DMP started taking action against gambling establishments on Sunday by raiding four clubs in the Motijheel area.

Bangladesh / Top News

Casino / lawsuit / GK Shamim / Khaled

Comments

While most comments will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive, moderation decisions are subjective. Published comments are readers’ own views and The Business Standard does not endorse any of the readers’ comments.

Top Stories

  • Illustration: TBS
    Khaleda Zia must go to prison first if she wants to go abroad for treatment: PM Hasina
  • Not exactly what the forex market needed
    Not exactly what the forex market needed
  • Govt goes slow on AIIB project loans, opts for budget support
    Govt goes slow on AIIB project loans, opts for budget support

MOST VIEWED

  • BRACU, DU, JU, NSU lead Bangladeshi universities in World Rankings 2024
    BRACU, DU, JU, NSU lead Bangladeshi universities in World Rankings 2024
  • Photo: BCB
    Shakib says he hasn't spoken with Litton since he broke his bat
  • File photo of Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant/UNB
    First batch of uranium reaches Rooppur
  • Photo: Courtesy
    'No responsible captain could do that': Shakib directly blames Tamim for Afghanistan series loss
  • Photo: ICC
    BCB President should give less interviews: Shakib
  • Photo: RNPP project authorities.
    First shipment of nuclear fuel for Rooppur plant arrives in Dhaka 

Related News

  • UAE sets up gaming regulator, led by US industry veterans
  • De Niro at 80: Epitome of acting excellence serving as reel mirror to reality
  • GK Shamim gets 10-year jail in money laundering case
  • Verdict in money-laundering case against GK Shamim, 7 others on 17 July
  • Alhaj Textile chairman removed after ousted MD's lawsuit

Features

Photo: Collected

The top 3 smartwatches of 2023: A glimpse into the future

3h | Brands
In the Nannu Market area in Mirpur 11, there are 35 such shops that provide clothes-fitting services like shortening of pants, tightening of sleeves and shirts, and so on. Photo: Noor-A-Alam

How former RMG workers reinvent themselves as fitting tailors

27m | Panorama
Photo: Collected

Almost 30 years later, Friends merch is still ‘perfection’

3h | Brands
Oh Oh Jaane Jaana: Enduring charisma of a quintessential 90s Bollywood song

Oh Oh Jaane Jaana: Enduring charisma of a quintessential 90s Bollywood song

22h | Features

More Videos from TBS

How Erdogan manages ties with the West, Russia and China

How Erdogan manages ties with the West, Russia and China

1h | TBS World
Behind the poor inflow of foreign investment

Behind the poor inflow of foreign investment

2h | TBS Markets
Unarmed Armenians do not want to return to Nagorno-Karabakh

Unarmed Armenians do not want to return to Nagorno-Karabakh

2d | TBS World
Is injury the main reason Tamim is excluded from WC Squad?

Is injury the main reason Tamim is excluded from WC Squad?

2d | TBS SPORTS
EMAIL US
[email protected]
FOLLOW US
WHATSAPP
+880 1847416158
The Business Standard
  • About Us
  • Contact us
  • Sitemap
  • Privacy Policy
  • Comment Policy
Copyright © 2023
The Business Standard All rights reserved
Technical Partner: RSI Lab

Contact Us

The Business Standard

Main Office -4/A, Eskaton Garden, Dhaka- 1000

Phone: +8801847 416158 - 59

Send Opinion articles to - [email protected]

For advertisement- [email protected]