A Dhaka court on Saturday ordered notorious casino operator Selim Pradhan and eight others to be sent to jail in a case filed under the Narcotics Control Act over alleged illegal sales of shisha in Gulshan. The order was given by Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Minhazur Rahman.
The other accused are Rakibul Islam Rafi, Sadikul Islam Sumon, Toufiqul Islam, Rifat Hasan, Robiul Hasan, Minhazur Rahman Tajbir, Mehedi Hasan, and Saimum Islam. They were produced before the court by Gulshan Police Sub-Inspector Md Habibur Rahman, who sought their remand to jail. Defense lawyers petitioned for bail, but the magistrate rejected the plea and ordered them into custody.
According to the case statement, in the early hours of September 6, police received information about illegal narcotics sales at Nexus Cafe Palace Restaurant, located in Gulshan’s Baridhara diplomatic zone. Around 3am, when police arrived, the accused attempted to flee but were detained on the spot. Officers seized 6.7 kilograms of shisha, seven shisha stands, and other equipment from the restaurant. A case was later filed with Gulshan Police Station under the Narcotics Control Act.
Selim Pradhan came to prominence during the anti-casino drives in 2019, when Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested him on September 30 at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport as he was about to board a flight to Thailand. Subsequent raids at his Gulshan and Banani residences and office recovered large amounts of local and foreign currencies, along with foreign liquor. Law enforcement officials at the time identified him as a key operator behind online casinos and gambling networks in Bangladesh.
He was also accused of laundering significant sums abroad. The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) later prosecuted him in a graft case, leading to a four-year prison sentence.
