The Department of Narcotics Control (DNC) has raided Banani’s Raintree hotel, where two university students were reportedly raped in late March, for a second time in three days to investigate allegations that the hotel illegally ran a bar.
A four-member DNC team, led by Gulshan Circle Inspector Obaidul Kabir went to the hotel around 11:15am on Saturday.
“We searched everywhere and found nothing illegal,” Obaidul said. Asked if there was any particular reason why The Raintree Dhaka was raided, he said, “No.”
“We have increased our surveillance at all the hotels in Dhaka. Drives like this one will continue.”
DNC Director (operation and intelligence) Deputy Inspector General Syed Towfiq Uddin Ahmed said they first raided Raintree three days ago after receiving a complaint that it was running a bar without permission.
“But we found nothing,” he said. “So, we raided it again on Saturday to be sure.”
Raintree hotel Manager Franck Forget denied the allegation, saying: “We only have a Coffee Bar.”
Meanwhile, two members of a National Human Rights Commission committee, formed to look into the Banani rape case, visited the hotel and spoke with the staffs and officials.
They could not visit the rooms where the women were allegedly raped on March 28.
The victims filed a rape case with Banani police on May 6 against Shafaat Ahmed, his friends Nayeem Ashraf and Shadman, Shafaat’s driver Billal and his bodyguard.
Shafaat is the son of Apan Jewellers’ owner Dildar Ahmed. Nayeem is the managing director of eMakers Bangladesh and Shadman is one of the directors of Regnum Group.
Police accepted the case after a 48-hour delay.
Shadman and Shafaat were arrested in Sylhet on Thursday. A Dhaka court on Friday permitted investigators to interrogate Shafaat for six days and Shadman for five days.
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