Police under pressure after casino scandal

On Tuesday night, in a drive at Fu Wang Club in the capital, police were unable to find any evidence of illegal gambling or illegal alcohol there.

However, on Thursday, just two days after the police drive, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) raided the same club and found thousands of cans of beer and illegal liquor.

The incident has raised questions about police's sincerity concerning recent crackdown against illegal casinos.

Moreover, two members of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) were suspended for helping Nepali nationals, who were involved in the casino business, flee the country.

Apart from that, the news of high police officials' involvement in the casino business put the department in an uncomfortable situation.

This correspondent talked to high officials at the Police Headquarters who felt embarrassed over some of their colleagues' involvement in the illegal casino business. Junior officials have been strongly ordered not to talk about casino issue, said the police high-ups.

As per the directive of the home ministry, the responsibility for the investigation into the cases filed against Khaled Mahmud Bhuiyan, the organizing secretary of Dhaka South Jubo League, under arms and narcotics act, has been given to RAB.

As RAB is investigating the cases, several high officials of DMP are feeling uncomfortable lest their names pop up, said the sources in the police.

They could have easily had their names erased if police had investigated the cases, the high officials said.

Asked about the RAB's successful drive just two days after a failed operation of police at Fu Wang Club on Tejgaon-Gulshan link road, Assistant Commissioner of police of Tejgaon Industrial Zone Farhad Salman Hasan said both are different drives.

He said after the police drive, the club authorities might have thought that no more drives would be conducted, prompting them to gather illegal liquor again.

According to intelligence sources, the DMP commissioner has already got the report of the involvement of some police officials of different tiers in the casino business.

The information of how much money they used to receive from each club is at the hand of DMP high-ups.

The DMP big shots hinted that they are awaiting departmental punishment.

The sources said police officials involved in the casino business are now passing the blame on each other.

Though police could have taken action against low-level officials, the law enforcement agency is embarrassed at the involvement of high officials.

Anybody will get surprised to discover the names of high police officials, involved in the casino business, said a top official of DMP.

Junior officials did not dare to take action for the involvement of some high-ups, he said.

Raid at Fu Wang club

Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) raided Fu Wang Club at Tejgaon-Gulshan link road in the capital early Thursday.

RAB Legal and Media Wing Assistant Director Mizanur Rahman Bhuiyan said three people including the manager of the club were arrested during the raid.

According to intelligence sources, Fu Wang Club owner Sheikh Nurul Islam is a friend of a high police official.

Illegal gambling activities have been taking place at the club since 2017.

Using his connection with both police and the underworld, Nurul Islam has been running these activities without any trouble.

In spite of the recent crackdown against illegal casino business, no law enforcement agencies dared to conduct drive against the club due to his connection to powerful quarters.

But the club was shut down a few days before the raid and the gambling equipment was taken away.

The club management later hung a banner there mentioning that the club was used for holding birthday parties only.

Two police officials suspended

A news surfaced that two police officials helped Nepalese nationals flee soon after the crackdown against casinos began. Later police claimed that the accused are from other intelligence agency.

But on Thursday, DMP Commissioner Md Shafiqul Islam said the two police officials have been suspended for helping Nepalese nationals flee.
Intelligence information on them is being collected, he said, adding that nobody will be spared with involvement in the casino business.