Ex-Jubo League Leader Samrat to Return to Jail as SC Rules against Bail

Ismail Hossain Chowdhury Samrat, a Jubo League leader who was expelled for his alleged ties to an illegal gambling racket, has lost an appeal challenging the High Court's decision to cancel his bail in an illegal wealth case.

A three-member panel of the Appellate Division headed by Justice Md Nuruzzaman gave the ruling on Samrat's appeal on Wednesday.

Lawyer Mansurul Haque Chowdhury appeared on behalf of Samrat while the Anti-Corruption Commission, which brought the charges against him, was represented by Khurshid Alam Khan.

Samrat will have to return to jail, as a result, said Khurshid.

The Appellate Division heard Samrat's appeal against the High Court's decision on Aug 8.

Samrat had secured bail in the case from but the lower court but the High Court overturned the decision on May 18. At the same time, it ordered Samrat to turn himself over to the authorities within seven days.

Samrat, the former president of Jubo League’s Dhaka South unit, came under scrutiny over his alleged ties to the illegal gambling business after the Rapid Action Battalion busted casino operations in numerous clubs in the capital in September 2020.

He subsequently went into hiding before being arrested in Cumilla on Oct 6 that year.

Samrat was implicated in four cases relating to the possession of firearms, narcotics, money laundering and illegal wealth acquisition. But by May 11, he had managed to secure bail in all four cases.

In response, the ACC moved the High Court to review the bail orders on May 14.

Prior to that, Samrat had been undergoing treatment at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Medical University under the supervision of jail authorities for about one and a half years. Even after he was cleared for release on bail, Samrat remained in hospital care due to a 'chronic heart disease'.