They bet in dollars in Aziz Mohammad Bhai’s rooftop casino

High-profile people used to gamble in dollars at the casino on the rooftop of Aziz Mohammad Bhai's house in Gulshan 2, said Mosharraf Hossain, sub-inspector of the Department of Narcotics Control.

"Gamblers used to pay in dollars at Aziz Mohammad Bhai's casino and the rooftop minibar, which indicates that high-profile people played there," said Mosharraf Hossain.

The Department of Narcotics Control conducted a raid at two adjacent buildings owned by businessman and film producer Aziz Mohammad Bhai in the area on Sunday evening and found the bar on the rooftop of one building.  

"Coins and notes from one cent to $100 were available in the bar," he said.

The casino had all the modern amenities and all kinds of drugs were supplied there, he added.

Mosharraf Hossain also said law enforcers in recent drives at different casinos the across the capital found gamblers used to play there in exchange of Bangladeshi Taka.  

The anti-narcotics team led by its Assistant Director Khurshid Alam seized casino equipment, 382 bottles of liquor, two packets of shisha weighing 4 kilograms, 200 grams cannabis and 24 cans of beer from Aziz Mohammad Bhai's house, said Fazlur Rahman, additional director of the department.   

No one was at the buildings during the raid.

Two caretakers of the building – Nabin Mandal and Parvez – were detained during the drive.  

Nabin Mandal said Aziz's nephew Ahad is the owner of the rooftop minibar. Ahad and Aziz's wife Nourin went abroad two days ago.

Members of the two buildings stay abroad most of the time, he added.

Parvez said he never saw Aziz Bhai in the building but he heard of him.

The raid ended at 10pm.

Aziz Mohammad Bhai, son of Mohammad Bhai and Khadiza Mohammad Bhai, is a well-known face in the country's film industry and business arena.

Bhai is his surname.

His family migrated to Bangladesh from India's Gujarat during the partition in 1947 and started business in Old Dhaka.

Aziz was born in Armanitola in 1962. Aziz is one of the richest industrialists in the country. He has eleven industries.

Aziz also has resorts in Malaysia, Thailand, Hong Kong, and Singapore.

In 1996, the Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission filed a case against Aziz Mohammed Bhai and the Olympic Industries Limited for allegedly extracting money from the stock market through fraud.   

A Dhaka tribunal issued an arrest warrant on August 29 last year against Aziz in the case.   

Aziz has been absconding for a long time.