In search of a 'treasure trove'

Police and the district administration of Dhaka are looking for “hidden treasure” reportedly kept under a one-storey house in Mirpur during the Liberation War in 1971.

Nothing was found after six hours of excavation at the house in Mirpur-10 yesterday. The excavation was suspended after 20 workers managed to dig 4.5 feet deep into the ground.

The digging began in two rooms of the one-storey building at Block C of Mirpur-10 around 10:30am in presence of Executive Magistrate Md Anwar-Uj-Jaman.

"The building is too old. So, we have suspended the excavation for safety concerns," he said, adding, they would try to seek experts' help and restart the digging today.

Earlier, two general diaries were filed with Mirpur police by one Abu Tayob from Teknaf in Cox's Bazar on July 10 and another one by the present house owner, Monirul Alam.

Four policemen have been on guard at the house since Wednesday in connection with the “hidden treasure”. The house became talk of the city and locals and enthusiasts thronged the area for last couple of days.

In the GD, Abu Tayob of Teknaf claims there was hidden treasure under the house. He said Dilshad Khan, its original owner and a former airport official, went to Pakistan after 1971.

Tayob learned about the “hidden treasure” from his close friend Syed Alam, who lives in Pakistan and is on a visit to Bangladesh now.

Alam in 2014 informed Tayob that there were around two maunds of gold and some diamonds underneath that building saying Dilshad got those from airport and hid those in a drum under the house.

In 1986, Dilshad visited Bangladesh to recover the valuables in vain. He returned to Pakistan and passed away in 1987.

Alam somehow learned about it and came to Bangladesh in 2015. He stayed in that house as a tenant for eight months but failed to get anything.

On July 9, Tayob and Alam came to Dhaka from Teknaf to occupy the “hidden treasure” and discussed with the present owner.

As they failed to reach an agreement, Tayob filed the GD so that no single person could get the “treasure”.

Tayob alleged he was in police custody for three days and was released on July 12.

Owner Monirul Alam also filed a GD on July 13 in this regard, said Dadon Fakir, officer-in-charge of Mirpur police.

Eventually, the district administration started the excavation in assistance with the police and the Department of Archaeology.

Sumon, caretaker of the house, told The Daily Star that four unidentified people including a woman offered him bribe for access to the house on July 12.

Monirul said he bought the house built on a two-katha plot from one Selim Reza in 2010 and planned to develop a new building there.