The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) is conducting a raid on Ismail Hossain Chowdhury Samrat's office in Dhaka's Kakrail.
An executive magistrate of the elite police unit is leading the drive at Samrat's office in the Bhuiyan Trade Centre , said Mizanur Rahman, senior assistant director of RAB's media wing today noon (Sunday).
In the early hours of this day, the RAB arrested Samrat and his associate Enamul Hoque Arman, who went into hiding amid allegations of running illegal casinos in the capital.
They were apprehended in Cumilla’s Chauddagram Upazila, home minister Assaduzzaman Khan said.
Hard on the heels of their arrest, the Jubo League, the youth wing of the Awami League, expelled its Dhaka South unit president Samrat and vice president Arman.
Iqbal Mahmud Bablu, publication secretary to the ruling party's youth front, announced the move on Sunday.
"As per our chairman's orders, anyone who is arrested in the drive (crackdown on illegal casinos) will immediately be expelled from the organisation. They were removed from their posts accordingly," said Iqbal.
On September 18, RAB busted casino operations in raids on Young Men's Club, Wanderers Club and Muktijoddha Krira Chakra in Motijheel.
The elite police unit arrested Khaled Mahmud Bhuiyan, organising secretary of Jubo League's Dhaka south unit, the same day before nabbing Kalabagan Krira Chakra President and Krishak League leader Shafiqul Alam Firoz a day later.
Two days later, law enforcers arrested contractor GK Shamim, who also identifies himself as a Jubo League leader.
In the wake of Khaled's arrest, Samrat was holed up in his office in Kakrail overnight with his supporters surrounding the building. He later went into hiding once reports tying him to the illegal casino business emerged.
Arman, who claims to be a close aide of Samrat, is also implicated in the illicit gambling operations.
He recently ventured into the movie industry in Dhaka, with the first film under the banner of his production house 'Desh Bangla Multimedia' releasing last Eid.
