‘Bar, casino’ in Aziz M Bhai’s house

The Department of Narcotics Control (DNC) yesterday raided the house of controversial industrialist and film producer Aziz Mohammad Bhai, in the capital’s Gulshan-2.

The DNC officials raided two buildings on the same plot on Gulshan-2’s road 57 and seized a huge amount of illegal liquor and casino equipment.

Fazlur Rahman, DNC additional director who led the drive, said the gambling equipment was found on the rooftop of one of the buildings and “a huge amount” of liquor in a room on the third floor of the other building.

The seized items include 390 bottles of foreign liquor of different brands from both buildings, 24 cans of beer, four kg of flavoured tobacco for Shisha, three shishas and 200gms of marijuana, along with some valuables.

Fazlur further said the house had a mini bar and a group of people would go there to gamble and drink.

The DNC detained two caretakers of the buildings, Nabin Mandal and Meer Md Parvez, for interrogation.

Nabin told The Daily Star that he has been working as a caretaker of the house for the last seven years, but he had never seen Aziz Mohammad Bhai.

Falzur said two cases would be filed against the caretakers with Gulshan police station tomorrow and the DNC will pray for remand to investigate would else was involved in bringing the gambling equipment and liquor, adding, “We will interrogate the two again to find Aziz Mohammad’s links in this regard and then take further steps.”

Quoting the two detainees, Khurshid Alam, assistant director of Dhaka North DNC, said Aziz Mohammad has not been in the country since 2007, adding that his wife had come to Bangladesh for a few days and left for Thailand two days ago.

Cache of foreign liquor found during a drive at Aziz Mohammad Bhai's Gulshan apartment. File photo: Palash Khan/Star

Parvez told this newspaper that he was in charge of taking care of the third floor, but has never entered the room in which the liquor was found.

The drive came amid an ongoing government crackdown on illegal gambling, extortion, contract-grabbing, and other forms of corruption and illicit activities.

Since September 18, Rab and police have raided different places, including some casinos inside sporting clubs, and arrested a number of leaders of the ruling party and its affiliated bodies.

The list includes expelled Dhaka South Jubo League president Ismail Chowdhury Samrat, his accomplice Arman, expelled organising secretary of Jubo League’s Dhaka south unit Khalid Mahmud, Kalabagan Krira Chakra President and ex-Krishak League leader Shafiqul Alam Firoz, Jubo League leader and businessman GK Shamim and Mohammedan Sporting Club’s Director-in-Charge Lokman Hossain Bhuiyan.

Director of Olympic Industries Limited, Aziz Mohammad Bhai was first arrested during Hussain Muhammad Ershad’s tenure as president.

He is alleged to have been involved in several crimes, including murder and drug trade.

In 1997, Aziz was allegedly involved in the suspected murder of film star Salman Shah. Aziz denied his involvement saying he was in Thailand at the time of the assassination.

While it was propagated as suicide, Salman Shah’s family and fans believed and alleged it was murder.

Two years later, Aziz was accused of being involved in the killing of another actor, Sohel Chowdhury.

According to sources, Aziz is a lifetime member of the SAARC Chamber of Commerce, owner of the Olympic Industries Ltd, Ambee Pharmaceuticals, and Ambee Films. He also runs hotel and resort businesses in different countries.

Aziz is now staying in Thailand with his family. He runs his businesses from there, sources said.