HC rules over Enu, Rupon’s bail in graft cases

The High Court has ordered the authorities to explain why Enamul Haque Enu and his brother Rupon Bhuiyan–kingpins of the casino business in the country–should not be granted bail in two cases filed over the amassing of illegal wealth.

The bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Ahmed Sohel, on Tuesday, denied their bail petitions and issued the ruling after a hearing on the petitions filed by the duo.

The state has been given two weeks to respond to the ruling.

The two brothers filed the petitions with the High Court, challenging a Dhaka court order that scrapped their bail petitions on June 15 in the two cases.

Lawyer Syed Mamun Mahbub argued for Enu and Rupon's bail, in court, while Deputy Attorney General Amin Uddin Manik represented the state at the hearing and lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan moved for the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).

Previously, on June 15, a Dhaka court denied bail pleas filed by the former leaders of Gendaria thana Awami League–Enu and his brother Rupon–in two graft cases.

According to the case statement, the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) raided Enu and Rupon's home on September 24 last year, and seized Tk5 crore in cash, 7.5 kilogrammes of gold jewelry, and six firearms.

Later, ACC assistant director Mamunur Rashid Chowdhury filed a case against Enu, then-vice-president of Gendaria thana Awami League, for amassing illegal wealth of Tk21.89 crore.

Additionally, ACC assistant director Mohammad Neyamul Ahsan Gazi filed another case against Rupon, then-joint general secretary of Gendaria thana Awami League, for amassing illegal wealth of Tk14.12 crore.

The two brothers were arrested in Keraniganj on January 13, 2020, while they were planning to flee to Nepal via India using passports made with false names.

Enu and Rupon were shareholders of Wanderers Club in Fakirapool.