Court orders seizure of movable, immovable assets of ex-IGP Benazir

A Dhaka court has ordered the seizure of all movable and immovable assets held by Benazir Ahmed, former inspector general of police (IGP), along with 83 purchase records.

Khurshid Alam, lawyer of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), confirmed the information to Prothom Alo, saying that Ash Shams Jaglul Hossain, a senior special metropolitan judge of Dhaka, passed the order on Thursday.

The order came against an ACC petition that sought seizure of assets held by former IGP Benazir and his family members, as part of its investigation into allegations of illegal wealth accumulation against them. 

The lawyer specified that they sought an order to seize the former IGP’s land in Gopalganj and bank accounts held by him as well as family members. 

Earlier on 31 March, a national daily, Kaler Kantho, published detailed reports on illegal wealth acquisition by the former IGP, and there were some follow-up reports in some other media outlets. 

A report – titled ‘Aladdin’s lamp in Benazir’s house’ – brought to light an eco-resort built on about 1,400 bighas of land owned by Benazir Ahmed's family. It also mentioned additional 800 bighas of land acquired next to the resort, shares in a five-star hotel, and a large apartment in the capital’s Bashundhara area.

Citing the reported allegations, Khorsheda Yasmin, a lawyer of ACC, told the media at a press briefing on 23 April that the commission initiated legal actions in this regard.