Casino controversy brings forward AL whip’s past

Ruling Awami League whip Shamsul Hoque Chowdhury is being accused of amassing huge wealth through his involvement in the country’s illegal casino business. After he criticised the on-going crackdown on casinos and gambling, quarters within his own party have been bringing such allegations against this MP from Patia, Chattogram.

They have been raking up his past, pointing out that he had originally been with BNP and Jatiya Party and only later joined Awami League.

The whip, who has been a member of parliament for 11 years at a stretch, has been criticised for other controversial organisational activities too. He is said to have included persons of his own choice from the upazila and union level in the party committee. And stirring further controversy, an audio and video recording of his son has also surfaced.

Shamsul Hoque has denied all allegations being brought against him. He said the prime minister Sheikh Hasina knew him well.

Speaking to Prothom Alo at the Chittagong Circuit House on 22 September, the whip had expressed annoyance about the drive against the clubs in Chattogram. He said that there were no casinos in the port city and if gambling was stopped at the clubs, they would not be able to run. He did, however, make a statement against casinos and gambling.

‘Hybrid’ in the party

Several leaders have said that Shamsul Hoque Chowdhury joined Awami League after having first been with BNP’s youth front Jubo Dal and then with Jatiya Party. Chattogram city Awami League’s youth and sports secretary Didarul Alam Chowdhury has referred to him as a ‘hybrid’ in the party.

Former general secretary of Chittagong city BNP, Ekramul Karim, said that when he was the city Jubo Dal founding president in 1979, Shamsul Hoque Chowdhury was Double Mooring thana Jubo Dal general secretary. Later Shamsul Hoque contested in the council elections as a Jatiya Party candidate.

Sidelined in the party

In response to Shamsul Hoque Chowdhury’s angry reaction against the anti-casino drive, Awami League city general secretary and mayor of the port city AJM Nasir Uddin said at a recent event that no one can condone gambling on the excuse of running clubs.

In a joint statement on Wednesday, AJM Nasir Uddin and the acting president of Chittagong city Awami League, Mahtab Uddin Chowdhury, said that those against the on-going driver were public enemies.

Similarly, several leaders of the ruling party have castigated the whip for his stance. He is being sidelined by these leaders.

Controversy over his son

To make matters worse, now an audio and video recording of Shamsul Hoque Chowdhury’s son Nazmul Karim Chowdhury alias Sharun, has been revealed. In the audio recording, he had abused Didarul Alam, threatening to slap him and strip him of his clothes. The audio has gone viral on social media. Nazmul denies making such threats, saying the audio was “super edited”.

There is also a video of Nazmul brandishing an AK 47 rifle which had gone viral on Facebook. He says it was taken at a shooting club in Russia and that he had just been posing. Shamsul Hoque Chowdhury claimed that his son’s Facebook account had been hacked.