'Drug parties' at addl DIG's house under police's nose, for nearly a year

Seizure list raises questions over limited drug recovery

Alleged drug consumption, illegal DJ parties and other antisocial activities at a senior police officer's house in Purbachal went unchecked for nearly a year until a raid early Tuesday, although a six-storey police outpost stood just 30 yards away.

The house stood in a secluded part of the neighbourhood, but the gatherings were hardly discreet.

Cars frequently lined the road outside the walled property, while loud music continued late into the night, within earshot of the nearby police outpost, according to residents.

Around 2:00am that night, a team from the Detective Branch (DB), acting on instructions from the police top boss, raided the property belonging to Abdullah Al Jahir, an additional deputy inspector general (DIG) of police headquarters, uncovering alleged drug use and illegal DJ parties.

The raid has raised questions about how such gatherings could continue for so long in a police personnel’s residential area without attracting police intervention.

Shorab Al Hossain, the officer-in-charge of Khilkhet Police Station, told The Daily Star that they knew the house belonged to a senior police official and that social gatherings were held there regularly.

However, they were unaware of DJ parties, drug consumption or other antisocial activities. "When we came to know about it, the DB conducted a drive," he added.

Between 20 and 22 parties were being organised at the property every month since 2025, with participants recruited through online registration, according to the DB.

During a visit to Police Housing-1 in Purbachal yesterday, residents, caretakers and security personnel described frequent music, dancing and gatherings at the house.

Such gatherings have been going on for around a year, said Abdul Jahir, who lives with his family in a small house about 100 yards from the property for five years now.

He said that six to seven cars would sometimes be parked outside the property, while music played from large sound systems.

People of different ages, including young men and women as well as older visitors, could be seen dancing in the open space in front of the house.

The gatherings initially took place three to four times a month but had become more frequent recently, particularly on Thursdays and Fridays.

Some parties began in the morning, while others took place in the afternoon or evening, sometimes continuing after Isha prayers.

The music would pause during the call to prayer.

A nearby mosque’s imam described a similar experience.

He said he occasionally walked along the road after Fajr prayers and had noticed men and women dancing outside the house early in the morning.

The house was known locally as a venue rented out for private functions, said a security guard at the entrance to Police Housing, who also requested anonymity.

The Daily Star approached personnel at the nearby police outpost; none agreed to speak.

“We have come to know that 20 to 22 DJ parties were organised there every month,” Elias Kabir, deputy commissioner of DB's Uttara division, told The Daily Star yesterday.

The property had been used for such gatherings since 2025, with Mahbub Alam acting as the co-host and managing the arrangements of the DJ parties. Mahbub used to charge 30 percent of the profit generated from the parties, and additional DIG Jahir used to get 70 percent, he said.

The house has six rooms, five of which were rented. The caretaker occupied the remaining room.

Bookings were accepted through online platforms Airbnb and Travela.

The entire property, including the five guest rooms, was rented out for Tk 18,500 a day for 10 people, while participants paid Tk 600 each as registration fees, according to Elias.

Two youths -- Sadman Rifat and Param Guha Niyogi -- coordinated with Mahbub to organise the parties.

Most participants were from affluent families, including university students and bankers.

Describing the raid, Elias said detectives found around 22 vehicles at the property. Music was playing at high volume, while smoke from shisha filled the premises.

SEIZURE LIST RAISES QUESTIONS

Despite allegations of widespread drug consumption and regular DJ parties, the DB's seizure list from the nearly three-hour raid paints a different picture.

According to the list, detectives recovered a bottle of Indian Iconic White whisky, 500ml of Royal Stag whisky from a one-litre bottle, 200ml of Russian Smirnoff vodka from a one-litre bottle, and an empty 750ml bottle of locally produced Carew's Imperial whisky. They also seized just one yaba tablet, equipment used for consuming yaba, and a small quantity of a substance identified as "kush".

The relatively small quantity of drugs recovered during an operation that led to the detention of 85 people has raised questions even among some senior police officials.

Asked about the limited seizures, Elias Kabir, deputy commissioner of the DB's Uttara division, told The Daily Star that participants had consumed alcohol and yaba before detectives arrived. As a result, investigators could recover only what remained, he said.

Additional DIG Jahir repeatedly contacted investigators after the raid began, seeking to prevent Mahbub's arrest, said a high official of DB police asking not to be named.

“He called Elias Kabir three times during the operation,” the official said.

Contacted, Additional DIG Jahir admitted he spoke to investigators on Mahbub's behalf, saying he initially believed the caretaker had properly discharged his responsibilities.

"I believed he had informed the guests about the house rules, including the prohibition on drug use. I did not want a poor man to face unnecessary trouble if he had performed his duties properly," he said, adding that he did not repeat the request after learning what had happened.

Mahbub told him only 35 to 40 people would attend the gathering, whereas he later learnt from DB's briefing that 84 people had been found at the property.

"That made me realise he had misrepresented the facts. Now I need to find out whether he misled me about other matters as well," he said, adding that he would examine Mahbub's role in managing the property and consider legal action if negligence or wrongdoing was established.

Meanwhile, the 85 people -- 26 women and 59 men -- detained from the residence were sentenced through summary proceedings.

The men were sentenced to one month in jail and fined Tk 1,000 each, with an additional 15 days in jail for failure to pay the fine. The women received 15 days' imprisonment and a Tk 500 fine each, with another three days in jail for non-payment.

Elias said they are now trying to get details on the organised operation involving regular bookings, paid registrations and repeated parties.