Motijheel Club Para now drug abusers’ den

The 'Motijheel Club Para' which was sealed off by police for running illegal Casinos is now a safe haven for drug abusers during the Covid-19 pandemic.  Police are now busy carrying out field duties to ensure people's safety in the wake of the pandemic.  
Fakirerpool Young Men's Club, Dhaka Wanderers Club, Arambagh Sporting Club, Dilkusha Sporting Club, Victoria Sporting Club, Mohammedan Sporting Club had been running 'Casinos' round-the-clock for a number of years.  
A few years ago, these clubs had shabby walls but after running of illegal Casinos, these took a gorgeous look with neon lights and eye-catching interiors to attract customers.
A RAB team led by a magistrate raided all clubs in the city and detained and sentenced 182 people in connection with running 'Casinos,' gambling dens and drug joints. RAB
    
also sealed off casinos last year. Police recovered the body of a young man from the rooftop of  Arambagh Sporting Club in the capital's Motijheel area last week. The deceased was identified as Saiful Islam, 35, son of late Manik Miah. Police said Saiful Islam was a drug abuser.
Visiting the Motijheel Club Para area on Tuesday, all clubs were seen sealed off while four others were found locked.
Some top leaders of the ruling Awami League's youth front Jubo League and other associate bodies took control of these clubs after the 'one-sided' club elections in 2014 and started running the casinos.
Sports organisers said some of the renowned sporting clubs used to run housie games since 1980s with permission from deputy commissioners to meet their expenses.
Leaders of different associate bodies of the party in power have long been involved in this. After the Awami League came to power, some leaders of its associate bodies started running the casinos, they added.
Once these sporting clubs were places for passing leisure time of the sports lovers and organisers. But now they are hardly seen visiting the club areas.
Only some drug abusers are seen using the area as a safe haven to continue with their illegal activities.
Dedicated organisers, who were involved with these sporting clubs, gradually stopped coming after the ruling party men took control of them to make money, said a number of sports organisers.
Mohammad Yasir Arafat Khan, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Motijheel Police Station, said the clubs were sealed off by order of the court.  On duty police forces were deployed to ensure security and safety of the sealed and locked clubs, the OC said.