Behind the quiet facade of a three-storey residence built on six and a half katha of land in the capital’s Bhatara Police Housing-1 area, an elaborate commercial party venue operated under the guise of online short-term rentals.
Behind the music, high-profile guests, and overnight DJ bashes lay a lucrative enterprise linked to its owner – Abdullah Al Zahir, an additional deputy inspector general now attached to Police Headquarters.
Raid, drugs, and high-profile guests
The secret unravelled on Monday night when officers from the Uttara division of the Detective Branch (DB) of police raided the house.
Inside, police detained 84 young men and women – 26 females and 58 males – amidst a scene stocked with various brands of imported liquor, cannabis, yaba, condoms, and drug-consumption paraphernalia.
Among those rounded up were two daughters of a police officer, an officer belonging to a security force, and foreign nationals, including a citizen of Afghanistan. All 84 detainees were later fined and released by a mobile court on Tuesday.
According to a DB official, the parties drew high-profile young women and numerous VIPs, whilst local residents told DB officers that several senior police officials had attended multiple previous gatherings at the property.
Facade of an online short-term rental
The Monday night event was booked by a woman named Parul, who assured attendees of police security before gathering them at the venue under the pretext of a party.
A sub-inspector of Bhatara police station explained that the residence was listed online through the Airbnb app, catering to domestic and international guests who rented rooms for overnight stays or social events.
However, behind the rental listings, social misconduct and illegal activities flourished.
Inside the commercial business model
To manage the daily operations, Zahir appointed a co-host named Mahbub Alam.
Interrogation of Mahbub revealed the inner workings of the property’s business model – details of which, from room bookings to revenue collection, are preserved in records obtained by TIMES of Bangladesh.
Mahbub managed five rooms, renting each room to groups of up to 10 people for Tk18,500. Any additional guest was charged an extra registration fee of Tk600.
The venue operated at an intense pace, hosting 18 to 20 programmes a month, with each event generating around Tk100,000 in rental income. The festivities typically ran continuously from 12 noon until 8am or 11am the following morning.
The financial proceeds were deposited directly into the bank account of police officer Zahir, who retained a 70 per cent share of the profits, leaving the remaining 30 per cent for Mahbub.
Departmental action, official response
Ilias Kabir, deputy commissioner of DB Uttara division, confirmed the details provided by the co-host during questioning regarding the online bookings, room capacity, extra registration fees, and full-scale DJ party operations.
Following the raid and subsequent revelations, Abdullah Al Zahir – a 24th BCS batch officer who previously served as staff officer to Mokhlesur Rahman, former additional inspector general of police – was attached to Police Headquarters on Tuesday.
Intelligence agencies have initiated a broader inquiry into his activities, including investigating the source of funds used to purchase the 6.5 katha plot in Bhatara.
Addressing the allegations, Additional Deputy Inspector General Abdullah Al Zahir said, “The house was rented under the pretext of a birthday party. But I did not know that they would do this kind of work or bring alcohol.
“I rent the house online and there are some strict rules there as well. If any illegal activity took place there, I have no scope to avoid responsibility.”
