From BCL activist to casino king

From a petty Chhatra League activist in undivided Dhaka city during the 90s, Ismail Hossian Chowdhury Samrat rose to become a casino king due to the patronage of some influential Awami League leaders. The eldest of four siblings, Samrat originally hailed from East Saheb Nagar village in Mirza Nagar Union of Feni district’s Parshuram upazila. He, however, grew up in Dhaka where his father worked as a class-4 employee of Rajdhani Unnayan Katripakkha (RAJUK). The family then lived at the government quarters at Kakrail in the city.

Samrat got involved in politics in 1990. During the five-year BNP tenure after autocratic ruler HM Ershad was toppled in 1990, Samrat was booked in a number of cases. By the time the Awami League under Sheikh Hasina was voted to power in the 1996 general election, Samrat had joined Juba League. During the 1996-2001 AL regime, he emerged as an influential leader of the ruling party’s youth front. He was also a frontline Juba League leader during the 1/11 changeover. After the tenure of the last caretaker government when the Awami League came to power again, Samrat continued his rise through the ranks. In the last council session of Juba League held on July 14, 2012, he was elected president of the organisation’s Dhaka south city unit.

Party sources said Samrat used to love gambling from his childhood and later took it as his profession. After becoming the president of the Dhaka South Juba League, he started the casino business in the capital under the patronage of influential AL leaders.

He also distributed money that he got from the casino business among those leaders, sources said.

Samrat was involved in running his casino business in five city-based clubs—Mohammedan Sporting Club, Arambag Krira Sangha, Dilkusha Sporting Club, Victoria Sporting Club and Wonderers Club.

He was also involved in tender manipulation, forceful occupation of land and homes and extortion in Dhaka South.

It is learnt that Samrat was a renowned gambler at home and abroad. He used to spend 10 days every month in Singapore for gambling. His reputation as a gambler was so great that Changi Airport authorities used to offer him special facilities and took him to the Marina Bay casino directly from the airport in a limousine.

According to AL insiders, Samrat became a popular youth leader and close to senior party leaders due to his skills of supplying workers to political rallies and ability to organise theme-based rallies. He also had close connections with several media persons that got him wide coverage.

He, however, fell foul of AL president and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina because of his controversial and illegal activities.  The PM came down heavily on Samrat on September 11, 2018, when he and other senior Juba League leaders went to call on her at Ganabhaban.  She accused Samrat of demanding millions of taka from Anjuman Mofidul Islam, a charity organisation that helps the poor to deal with the interment of dead relatives. The PM and her sister are also patrons of the organisation.

Later, the AL party chief ordered to dissolve the Juba League south city committee after allegations surfaced that Samrat was obstructing the construction of a multi-storey building of a charity to extort them. Juba League president Mohammad Omar Faroque Chowdhury and general secretary Harun Or Rashid were present during the incident. On September 14, at a meeting of the Awami League Central Working Committee (ALCWC), Sheikh Hasina had decided to take stern action against party leaders and workers involved in corruption and irregularities.

At that meeting, Hasina, who is also the organisational chief of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), removed its president Rezwanul Haque Chowdhury Shovon and general secretary Golam Rabbani from their respective posts because of their alleged involvement in corruption and various irregularities. She also expressed her annoyance with some Juba League leaders and lambasted them for their illegal activities. During the ongoing drive against casinos, Samrat’s name came up and he was arrested yesterday morning from Cumilla.

From BCL activist to casino king

From a petty Chhatra League activist in undivided Dhaka city during the 90s, Ismail Hossian Chowdhury Samrat rose to become a casino king due to the patronage of some influential Awami League leaders. The eldest of four siblings, Samrat originally hailed from East Saheb Nagar village in Mirza Nagar Union of Feni districts Parshuram upazila. He, however, grew up in Dhaka where his father worked as a class-4 employee of Rajdhani Unnayan Katripakkha (RAJUK). The family then lived at the government quarters at Kakrail in the city. Samrat got involved in politics in 1990. During the five-year BNP tenure after autocratic ruler HM Ershad was toppled in 1990, Samrat was booked in a number of cases. By the time the Awami League under Sheikh Hasina was voted to power in the 1996 general election, Samrat had joined Juba League. During the 1996-2001 AL regime, he emerged as an influential leader of the ruling partys youth front. He was also a frontline Juba League leader during the 1/11 changeover. After the tenure of the last caretaker government when the Awami League came to power again, Samrat continued his rise through the ranks. In the last council session of Juba League held on July 14, 2012, he was elected president of the organisations Dhaka south city unit. Party sources said Samrat used to love gambling from his childhood and later took it as his profession. After becoming the president of the Dhaka South Juba League, he started the casino business in the capital under the patronage of influential AL leaders. He also distributed money that he got from the casino business among those leaders, sources said. Samrat was involved in running his casino business in five city-based clubsMohammedan Sporting Club, Arambag Krira Sangha, Dilkusha Sporting Club, Victoria Sporting Club and Wonderers Club. He was also involved in tender manipulation, forceful occupation of land and homes and extortion in Dhaka South. It is learnt that Samrat was a renowned gambler at home and abroad. He used to spend 10 days every month in Singapore for gambling. His reputation as a gambler was so great that Changi Airport authorities used to offer him special facilities and took him to the Marina Bay casino directly from the airport in a limousine. According to AL insiders, Samrat became a popular youth leader and close to senior party leaders due to his skills of supplying workers to political rallies and ability to organise theme-based rallies. He also had close connections with several media persons that got him wide coverage. He, however, fell foul of AL president and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina because of his controversial and illegal activities. The PM came down heavily on Samrat on September 11, 2018, when he and other senior Juba League leaders went to call on her at Ganabhaban. She accused Samrat of demanding millions of taka from Anjuman Mofidul Islam, a charity organisation that helps the poor to deal with the interment of dead relatives. The PM and her sister are also patrons of the organisation. Later, the AL party chief ordered to dissolve the Juba League south city committee after allegations surfaced that Samrat was obstructing the construction of a multi-storey building of a charity to extort them. Juba League president Mohammad Omar Faroque Chowdhury and general secretary Harun Or Rashid were present during the incident. On September 14, at a meeting of the Awami League Central Working Committee (ALCWC), Sheikh Hasina had decided to take stern action against party leaders and workers involved in corruption and irregularities. At that meeting, Hasina, who is also the organisational chief of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), removed its president Rezwanul Haque Chowdhury Shovon and general secretary Golam Rabbani from their respective posts because of their alleged involvement in corruption and various irregularities. She also expressed her annoyance with some Juba League leaders and lambasted them for their illegal activities. During the ongoing drive against casinos, Samrats name came up and he was arrested yesterday morning from Cumilla.