Earlier today, Abdullah Al Zahir was transferred from the Repair and Maintenance branch and attached to the Headquarters branch.
TBS Report
20 October, 2026, 06:20 pm
Last modified: 20 October, 2026, 06:40 pm
The Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police has detained 84 people, including 26 women and an Afghan national, during a raid on a house in Dhaka's Bhatara area rented out through online platforms by a police additional deputy inspector general (DIG).
The raid was conducted around last midnight (19 October) at a property in the Police Housing-1 residential area under Bhatara Police Station, following allegations of drug use and DJ parties.
Police seized cannabis, yaba pills, alcohol and equipment used for yaba consumption during the operation. The DB said legal proceedings against the detainees were under way.
Additional DMP Commissioner (DB) Md Shafiqul Islam confirmed the raid, saying Additional DIG Abdullah Al Zahir had rented out the house through Airbnb.
The tenants allegedly used the property for drug consumption and DJ parties, he said.
Contacted by The Business Standard, Abdullah Al Zahir said the property, owned by the Police Housing Society, was listed for rent on Airbnb and the Traveller platform.
He said a person named Parom Niyogi had rented it on Monday for a birthday celebration.
The container-built structure is often rented for events such as birthday parties and gaye holud ceremonies, he added.
Zahir said the rental rules strictly prohibited illegal activities and the use of drugs or alcohol, with provisions for fines. The rules were displayed on both platforms, and prospective tenants were repeatedly warned about them.
Questioning whether landlords should be held responsible for criminal activities secretly carried out by tenants, he said, "You have a flat in Dhaka city and rent it out to someone. If that person secretly engages in criminal activities, the responsibility lies with that person. How can the landlord manage that? When the landlord learns about it, they can refuse to rent to the person again, blacklist them or evict them."
He added that a caretaker managed the property's rental arrangements and that he always followed the law.
According to DB sources, the house was regularly used for drug gatherings and DJ parties attended by men and women of different ages.
The operation was conducted based on intelligence information, the sources said.
Uttara Division DB Deputy Commissioner Ilias Kabir said 58 men and 26 women were detained, including an Afghan national.
He said the property was managed through a host and a co-host. Co-host Mahbubul Alam was also among those detained.
Meanwhile, Abdullah Al Zahir was transferred from the Repair and Maintenance branch and attached to the Headquarters branch today (20 October), according to a notification issued by Police Headquarters.