A terrifying drug factory in Mirpur’s haunted market on Paris Road

In the heart of Dhaka’s Mirpur, on Paris Road, stands a vast, six-storey concrete structure that has lain abandoned for nearly 28 years. Once intended to be a bustling commercial hub, the incomplete building has become infamous among locals as the “Haunted Market,” a place shrouded in darkness and fear.

Originally designed as the New DNCC Market, the structure sits on a two-acre plot and was meant to house 2,363 shops. Construction began in 1996 at a cost of at least 250 million BDT from the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC). Today, the land alone is valued at several hundred million taka. Despite its prime location in Mirpur 11, political shifts, changes in local governance, and the division of the city corporation left the project unfinished. The contracting company, Khalek Enterprises, absconded during the military-backed caretaker government era, leaving the building to decay.

Now, the abandoned market has become a safe haven for criminal activity, including drug use, gambling, and theft. Local residents report that drug addicts gather here day and night, using the site as a base for their operations. The market’s lower floors are eerily silent, with rows of abandoned rickshaws and vans, peeling plaster, and walls covered in grime. The air is often thick with the smell of narcotics, and empty bottles of Phensedyl and other drugs litter the floors.

The building has also been the site of multiple deaths. On the night of 16 January, police recovered the body of a man named Sumon from the market’s lower floors. According to the officer in charge of Pallabi Police Station, Alamgir Jahan, the deceased bore head injuries, and two individuals have been arrested in connection with the crime. Locals report that over the past five years, at least eight bodies have been discovered within the abandoned structure.

Residents argue that the failure to complete the market in a timely manner has left the space vulnerable to illegal occupation. “It’s a nightmare,” said one local. “People come here to take drugs, plan robberies, and even gamble openly. The building should have been operational years ago.”

Authorities have acknowledged the urgency of the situation. Officer Jahan confirmed, “We will write to the city corporation requesting immediate measures to reopen and secure the market.” Meanwhile, the once-promising commercial hub remains a grim reminder of administrative neglect and urban decay, looming over one of Dhaka’s busiest districts.