The Awami League administration has ‘transformed Dhaka into Las Vegas’, says a senior BNP leader.
National Standing Committee member Abdul Moyeen Khan made the remarks on Thursday (Sept 19) at a human chain demonstration arranged by Doctors Association of Bangladesh (DAB) in Dhaka to press the demand of the release of party chief Khaleda Zia.
“I heard that Bangladesh will be made as developed as Singapore but the government has gone one step further and made it into Las Vegas!,” he said in a tone of sarcasm.
When the city was established 400 years ago, this was known as a city of mosques and now it’s being turned into a city of casinos, added the former Cabinet member.
Bangladesh was made independent for two reasons — democracy and economic freedom of the people, said the veteran politician before adding: “And now we have autocracy and gambling.”
On Wednesday, the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested Juba League Dhaka South Organising Secretary Khalid Mahmud Bhuiyan at his Gulshan home for running a “casino” at a sports club in Fakirerpool.
RAB raided at least five clubs in the city and detained and sentenced 182 people in connection with running “casinos”, gambling, and drug abuse, and sealed off at least two clubs.
Khalid’s arrest came after a RAB mobile court detained and sentenced 142 people raiding the “casino” in Fakirerpool Youngmen’s Club and seized some apparently blackjack tables, slot machines, Tk 2.5 million in cash, yaba pills, and some bottles of liquor.
Khalid is the president of the club.