Court Fixes March 31 for Indictment Hearing against Samrat

A Dhaka court today set March 31 for indictment hearing against Ismail Hossain Chowdhury Samrat, an ex-Jubo League leader, for amassing wealth beyond his known legal income sources.

Samrat was arrested amid a massive media and social uproar in October 2019, primarily for illegally running casinos, possessing fire arms and huge volume of foreign liquors while police subsequently charged him in several other cases.

He was brought to the dock under heavy security escorts when Dhaka Metropolitan Session Judge KM Imrul Qayesh accepted the charge sheet ordered the case be transferred to Special Judge's Court- 6 for indictment hearing.

The counsels of Samrat, who is in his mid 40s, today filed a bail petition for their client which the judge referred to the special judge's court.

Samrat was currently being treated at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) under jail custody and brought to the court complex in Old part of Dhaka in an ambulance.

Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the case against him on November 12, 2019 after investigations alleging that the former leader of the ruling Awami League's associate body acquired assets worth Tk 2.95 crore beyond his known income sources.

ACC Deputy Director and investigating Officer Jahangir Alam presented the charge sheet before the metropolitan session's court on November 26, 2020.

Elite anti-crime Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested Samrat in a predawn raid at a village in Cumilla's Chauddagram upazila where he was hiding to evade justice.

In a subsequent action, police raided his Kakrail office in the capital and recovered huge quantities of foreign liquor, guns and rare species of wildlife skins.

Immediately after his arrest a mobile court sentenced Samrat to six months of jail term for possessing wildlife skins as the law enforcement agencies and the ACC proceeded for subsequent legal steps.