Process Underway to Repatriate Arrested Benazir Ahmed

Efforts are currently underway to repatriate the former Inspector General of Police (IGP), Benazir Ahmed, who was arrested in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in connection with corruption and passport fraud cases. Ahmed faces a total of six lawsuits. This includes an active trial concerning the acquisition of assets worth 14.62 crore BDT beyond his known sources of income, whilst the investigations into the remaining five cases are still ongoing.

Akhtarul Islam, the Deputy Director (Media) of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), disclosed these details during a press conference held on Sunday afternoon at the ACC headquarters in Segunbagicha, Dhaka.

Arrest and Repatriation Procedures

According to the ACC official, an application had been submitted to Interpol through the Ministry of Home Affairs to apprehend the former police chief for passport forgery and accumulating wealth beyond known sources of income. Acting upon this request, Interpol assisted in the arrest of Benazir Ahmed in Dubai on 12 June. The government has confirmed that the formal process to ensure his swift repatriation to Bangladesh has commenced.

In February of this year, the court directed the authorities to issue a Red Notice through Interpol for his arrest, which was Subsequently executed by the international law enforcement agency. The Ministry of Home Affairs indicated that diplomatic and legal channels have been activated to secure his return, and the government expects him to be brought back once the necessary formalities are completed.

Overview of Legal Cases and Assets

Investigation and Asset Confiscation

During the press briefing, Akhtarul Islam noted that despite being a senior government official, Benazir Ahmed fraudulently acquired multiple private passports. The ACC initiated its inquiry last year after the corruption allegations against him became public. Subsequently, several lawsuits were filed against him and his family members on charges of acquiring illegal wealth, concealing asset information, and financial irregularities.

As part of the ongoing investigations, a significant volume of movable and immovable assets belonging to Ahmed and his family members has been confiscated, and their bank accounts have been frozen under court orders. The frozen assets comprise multiple apartments in Dhaka, hundreds of bighas of land across several districts, corporate shares, bank balances, and savings certificates. The remaining five pending cases involve collective allegations of acquiring an additional 76 crore BDT beyond his legitimate income.

Benazir Ahmed served as the Inspector General of Police from April 2020 to September 2022. Prior to this apex role, he held the positions of Director General of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and Commissioner of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP).