'Police raid a police officer's home, triggered by an internal conflict'
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Several questions have been raised over a late-night raid on the residence of a senior police officer in the Police Officers Housing Society (POHS-1). Meanwhile, netizens are posting verious comments on social media on the incident.
The sentencing of the DJ who performed at the party and those responsible for providing logistical support has also raised questions. Senior police officials say the raid was conducted due to internal conflicts within the police force.
Several senior police officers, speaking to this correspondent on condition of anonymity, claimed that the raid was carried out because of internal factions among the police. They said many other officers used to visit the house, and the incident was being publicised deliberately to target someone. However, they added that such a situation was in no way desirable.
At 2:30 am on Monday, a team from the Detective Branch's Uttara division raided the three-storey house in the Police Housing-1 residential area of Bhatara. The operation continued until 5:30 am, resulting in the arrest of 85 people, including 26 women. After the news was published, the house's owner, Additional Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Abdullah Al Zahir, was relieved of his duties and attached to the Police Headquarters.
Those detained in the incident were sentenced through summary trials. Each of the women was sentenced to 15 days in jail and fined Tk 500. Failure to pay the fine would result in an additional three days in prison. Each of the men was sentenced to one month in jail and fined Tk 1,000.
During the raid, investigators found an empty 750-millilitre bottle of whisky produced by the local company Carew & Co. at the house. They also seized a one-litre bottle of Indian Royal Stag whisky containing an estimated 500 millilitres of alcohol. A one-litre bottle of Smirnoff vodka containing approximately 200 millilitres of alcohol was also seized. In addition, a one-litre bottle of whisky from an Indian company was recovered. The Detective Branch's seizure list also mentioned the recovery of one yaba tablet, equipment used to consume yaba and a small quantity of kush (cannabis).
Rezaul Karim Sohag, chairman of the Department of Criminology at the University of Dhaka, told Agamir Somoy that the outcomes of the raid should be investigated further. It needs to be established whether prohibited drugs were actually consumed at the venue and whether the operation was conducted to serve someone's personal interests, he said.
Responding to a question, Rezaul Karim said the parents of the young men and women who attended the late-night party should have been more vigilant. If illegal drugs were indeed found at the scene, their source should be identified. He also remarked that the owner should have been aware of what kind of parties would be held before renting out a house belonging to a serving law enforcement officer.
Deputy Commissioner (DC) Ilias Kabir of the Detective Branch's Uttara division, who led the raid, said he had conducted the operation on the instructions of senior officers. He said they had received no prior information about a party being organised at the house. However, he claimed that illegal drug consumption and DJ parties had been taking place there for a long time. According to him, the people detained had already consumed alcohol and yaba before the raid, and the remaining drugs found at the scene were seized.
