Former Jubo League leader Ismail Hossain Chowdhury Samrat, an alleged kingpin of the illegal casino business in Dhaka, was sentenced to life term imprisonment in absentia in an arms case.
Judge Md Ibrahim Miah of Dhaka Special Tribunal-2 pronounced the verdict at the courtroom.
Delivering the verdict, the judge said the prosecution was able to prove the charges brought against Samrat of possessing firearms and ammunition at his Kakrail office, and he was given the punishment for committing such offences.
The punishment of the fugitive will be effective from the day of his arrest or surrender, said the judge.
Samrat, who was on bail, went into hiding after August 5 last year.
Earlier, the prosecution completed their argument and sought the highest punishment mentioned in the Arms Act.
The tribunal recorded statements of 12 prosecution witnesses during the trial.
On January 16 this year, the tribunal framed charges against Samrat in his absence and issued arrest warrant against him in the case.
On November 6, 2019, Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) pressed charges against him in the case.
On October 6, 2019, Rapid Action Battalion members arrested Samrat, former president of Dhaka South Jubo League, and his close aide Enamul Haque Arman, former vice-president of the same unit, after raiding a house in Cumilla near the Indian border.
He came under the spotlight after Rab busted his illegal casino business at different sporting clubs in Dhaka.
Samrat was expelled from Jubo League following his arrest. He was then brought to Dhaka. Subsequently, Rab conducted operations at various establishments where Samrat either lived or carried out political and business activities.
Rab also took Samrat to his political office in Kakrail where he had been reportedly staying since the crackdown began on September 18 of 2019.
Rab members at a press briefing at the time said they had seized two torture devices, a pistol with five bullets, two hides of Kangaroo, 1,160 pieces of yaba and 19 bottles of foreign liquor from the Kakrail office.
A Rab mobile court, led by Executive Magistrate Sarwoer Alam, sentenced Samrat to six months' imprisonment for possessing wild animal hides and another six months for possessing illegal liquor.
Three other Dhaka courts had earlier issued arrest warrants against Samrat in drugs, money laundering and graft cases.
FP/MI
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