85 Sentenced After DB Raid on DJ Parties at House Rented Out by an Additional DIG

People detained in a detective branch raid on DJ parties held at a house rented out by an additional DIG of police headquarters have been sentenced. On Wednesday, Elias Kabir, deputy commissioner of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police detective branch's Uttara division, said 20 to 22 such events were held at the house every month and that the activity had been going on since 2025.

The house was rented out by Abdullah Al Zahir, additional DIG (repair and maintenance) at police headquarters. Participants joined the parties through online registration. The events were arranged using the online platforms Airbnb and Travela, detectives said.

Elias Kabir told the media the raid was carried out on secret information received from senior officials. On entering the building, officers found a DJ party under way. There were about 22 cars there, loud music was playing and the place was filled with smoke from shisha use.

When police entered, the party stopped and those present moved into different rooms, he said. The young men and women at the party included university students and bankers.

Detectives said there were 26 young women at the party, most of them aged between 20 and 22. Alongside students of public and private universities, a student of Dhaka University was also present.

Three bottles of liquor, yaba pills and a drug called kush were recovered in the raid, the detective branch said. The items were seized as evidence for the legal process.

Each participant was charged about Tk 600 per event, detectives said. At 20 to 22 events a month, the briefing after the raid portrayed it as a regular and organised operation.

Asked about the punishments, Elias Kabir said the men were given one month in jail and a Tk 1,000 fine, with 15 more days in jail if the fine is not paid. The women were given 15 days in jail and a Tk 500 fine, with three more days in jail in default.

That a house rented out by a senior police officer was being used for such events drew attention after the raid. No comment from the house owner or the officer concerned was available by the time this report was written.

Detectives said surveillance has been stepped up as such events continue behind online platforms. Raids will continue whenever there are complaints of drug use and irregularities in the name of such parties, officials said.

Legal proceedings concerning those detained and sentenced are continuing. Detectives are also looking into who else was behind the events and whether similar activity is running anywhere else through online bookings.