Police have arrested shadowy businessman Selim Prodhan, a key figure in the notorious casino scandal, along with eight others for allegedly operating an illegal shisha bar in Gulshan, Dhaka.
The arrests took place early Saturday morning during a raid at the bar, located in road no 12, house 43 ,Baridhara diplomatic zone, confirmed Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) Al Amin Hossain of the Gulshan Division of Dhaka Metropolitan Police.
“We have detained Selim Prodhan and eight others from his bar. He was illegally operating a Shisha Bar,” said ADC Al Amin.
The identities of other detainees are Md Rakibul Islam Rafi, 25, Md Sadikul Islam Mon, 39, Md Toufiqul Islam, 25, Md Rifat Hasan, 25, Md Rabiul Hasan, 25, Minhajur Rahman Tajbir, 21, Md. Mehedi Hasan, 26, Md.Saif Islam, 25.
In connection with the incident, Sub-Inspector (SI) Md. Mahbubul Hasan filed a case under the Narcotics Control Act.
The during the drive law enforcers also seized some materials, including five red-colored shisha tobacco packets, weight approximately 3.5 kilograms,.
Selim Prodhan is the chairman of Prodhan Group, previously associated with P24 Gaming, a company linked to illegal casino operations both online and in person.
Prodhan first gained public attention in September 2019 when he was arrested at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. The subsequent raids by Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) on his Gulshan and Banani properties led to the seizure of Tk 29 lakh in cash, large quantities of foreign liquor, and foreign currencies.
He was later convicted for illegal wealth accumulation and money laundering, receiving a four-year prison sentence. Despite this, Prodhan attempted to run for chairman in the Rupganj Upazila Parishad election last year, but his candidacy was rejected due to his criminal conviction.
In June, Prodhan re-emerged as the Chief Adviser of the Bangladesh Republic Party (BRP), a newly formed political platform.