Senior cop’s rental property turns into a drug den

A rental property owned by a senior police officer in Dhaka’s Purbachal has come under scrutiny after the Detective Branch (DB) detained 84 people, including 26 women, and seized alcohol, yaba and cannabis during a late-night raid over alleged drug use and illegal DJ parties.

The property belongs to Additional Deputy Inspector General Abdullah Al Jahir, a supernumerary police officer who was serving in the Repair and Maintenance Branch of Police Headquarters before being attached to its Headquarters Branch on Tuesday.

The raid has raised questions about how a property owned by a serving senior police officer allegedly became a venue for drug-related gatherings and whether its owner knew about or benefited from the activities.

Shafiqul Islam, additional commissioner (detective) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, said Jahir had rented out the property, where intelligence indicated that drug use and illegal DJ parties had been taking place for a long time.

Elias Kabir, deputy commissioner of the DB’s Uttara division, said police had repeatedly received information about parties and drug consumption at the property in Police Housing-1, Purbachal.

According to Elias, Jahir was allegedly the principal organiser, while a man named Mahbub Alam acted as his associate.

DB officials said Mahbub told investigators that Jahir received 70% of the earnings from the parties, while the remaining 30% went to him. The alleged revenue-sharing arrangement has not been independently verified, and no financial records establishing it were provided in the information available.

DB sources said the property was listed on Airbnb, the US-based accommodation rental platform, and that guests booking it regularly held DJ parties there.

Jahir acknowledged accepting bookings through Airbnb but denied organising drug parties. He said the property was intended for birthday celebrations and family gatherings, and its rules expressly prohibited drugs and DJ parties.

He said guests who violated the rules could be blacklisted and fined.

Explaining Monday night’s incident, Jahir said the property had been rented out for a birthday celebration and that the guests had brought the drugs recovered during the raid.

“What is our crime here? We rented out the property. Our guidelines explicitly prohibit drugs and DJ parties. Those found with drugs committed criminal offences,” he said.

He also rejected allegations that parties were held there almost daily, claiming that the venue hosted only two or three events a month.