Illegal drug, arms trade thrives under ex-MP’s rule

City Desk :

The Alubdi Jhilpar slum in Mirpur’s Pallabi has reportedly become a thriving hub for illegal drug and arms trade, with authorities seemingly turning a blind eye to the escalating crisis. Local residents allege that these illicit activities are orchestrated by Ilias Mollah, a former Awami League MP from Dhaka-16.

Mollah is accused of occupying land allocated by the National Housing Authority (NHA) for journalist housing and using it to construct an illegal slum, where the trade thrives unchecked.
Despite repeated complaints about the absence of surveillance and enforcement, the authorities’ inaction has left the community vulnerable.

“We live in constant fear. These trades have made life unbearable, yet no one steps in to help,” a local resident lamented.

In 2006, following a directive from then-Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia, the National Housing Authority (NHA) allocated seven acres of land adjacent to the Jhilpar Mosque in Pallabi for the Dhaka Sangbadik Samabay Samity Limited to provide housing for 300 journalist families.

After the Awami League government assumed power in 2009, MP Ilias Mollah seized the land illegally.

Mollah built a slum in one section, which he rented out, and established a cattle farm in another. Illegal electricity, gas, and water connections were arranged for the slum, with Mollah’s forces collecting monthly rent.

Though he went into hiding following the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government on August 5, his influence over the slum persists. The slum’s illegal operations are allegedly run by Mollah’s relatives and party affiliates. His nephew, Salman Mollah, oversees much of the trade, including managing slums and shops in the area.