HC cancels Samrat’s bail, directs him to surrender

The High Court (HC) has canceled the bail of suspended Juba League leader Ismail Hossain Chowdhury Samrat in a case filed over amassing illegal wealth. 

A HC bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Kazi Md Isarul Haque Akand passed the order on Wednesday. 

The HC also directed him to surrender within seven days before Dhaka Special Judge Court-6 which granted bail to him on three conditions in the case on May 11. 

Lawyer Md Khurshid Alam Khan stood for ACC, Advocate Monsurul Haque Chowdhury and advocate Ehsanul Haque Samaji for Samrat and Attorney General Abu Mohammad Amin Uddin and Deputy Attorney General A K M Amin Uddin Manik for the state. 

On November 12, 2019, ACC filed the case against him after investigations alleging that he acquired assets worth about Taka 2.95 crore beyond his known income sources.

Deputy Director of the ACC and Investigating Officer Jahangir Alam presented the charge-sheet before the Metropolitan Session’s Court on November 26, 2020.

The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested Samrat in a predawn raid from a village in Cumilla’s Chauddagram upazila on October 6, 2019. 

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 hides.

A case was filed against him under the Arms and Drugs Act for possession of arms and drugs. 

Later, Criminal Investigation Department (CID) filed a case against him under the Money Laundering Act and the ACC filed a case alleging illegal acquisition of assets.