Former IGP Benazir hasn’t appeared at ACC yet

Former inspector general of police (IGP) Benazir Ahmed hasn’t appeared at the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) as of 1:00 pm Sunday. The deadline to appear in the ACC ends today.

However, the ACC is yet to make an official announcement regarding this. The announcement may come this afternoon, the ACC sources said.

Earlier, on 28 May, the ACC summoned Benazir Ahmed and his family to its office for their statement on the allegations of amassing huge assets beyond known source of income on 6 June and 9 June respectively.

Following that, Benazir appealed to the ACC through his lawyer for a 15-day-extension of the deadline on 5 June.

Speaking to the newspersons that day ACC commissioner Zahurul Haque said, “I have heard that Benazir sought for 15 more days. He will be given that time.”

A day earlier, Zahurul told the newspersons that there is no specific law that states whether it’s obligatory to attend a call from the ACC. “If he doesn’t appear, then it would be assumed that he has nothing to say.”

Benazir Ahmed and his family own some 12 flats in Dhaka, a total of 697 bighas of lands in different districts, shares of 19 companies and saving certificates worth Tk 30 million. They have a total of 33 bank accounts and three ‘beneficial owners’’ (BO) accounts. The court has ordered to confiscate his immovable assets.

The sources in the law enforcement agencies, Benazir left the country on 4 May, even before that court order was passed.

Benazir served as the IGP from 15 April 2020 to 30 September 2022. Before that he served as the commissioner of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police and director general of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB). In December 2021, the US imposed sanctions on seven RAB officials, including former RAB official Benazir, on the allegations of human rights violation. Benazir was serving as the IGP at the time the US imposed the sanctions.