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Published : 14 Jul 2025, 08:16 PM
A Dhaka court has ordered the freezing of four foreign bank accounts belonging to former inspector general of police Benazir Ahmed, amid allegations of extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, murder, and large-scale corruption.
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), which sought the freeze, also secured an order to seize his residential and commercial holdings in the United States, reportedly worth $430,000.
Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Zakir Hossain Galib issued the orders on Monday, said ACC spokesperson Tanzir Ahmed.
In the plea filed by Deputy Director Hafizul Islam, the agency said Benazir was attempting to transfer ownership of assets registered under his name and entities linked to him.
The national anti-graft agency argued that the seizure was necessary to prevent obstruction to the ongoing investigation.
While there had long been public rumours about Benazir’s unexplained wealth, it was only after Bangladeshi newspapers published detailed reports on his properties in March 2024 that the court formally ordered an investigation.
The ACC summoned him multiple times, but he failed to appear.
A video clip later surfaced on social media showing him departing the country via the airport shortly after the fall of the Awami League government.
On Dec 15 last year, the commission initiated four separate cases against Benazir, his wife Zeeshan Mirza, and their two daughters, accusing them of acquiring Tk 740 million in illegal wealth and concealing asset information.
According to one case, Benazir alone amassed Tk 94.4 million in unexplained wealth and withheld details of assets worth Tk 26.2 million.
His wife allegedly owns Tk 316.9 million in illegal assets and concealed wealth worth another Tk 160.1 million.
Their elder daughter Farheen Rishta Binte Benazir is accused of possessing Tk 87.5 million in illegal assets, while their younger daughter Tahseen Raisa Binte Benazir is said to own Tk 55.9 million in illicit wealth.
In February, a money laundering case was also filed against the family, accusing them of siphoning off Tk 113.45 million abroad.
In April, Interpol issued a Red Notice against Benazir at the request of Bangladeshi authorities.
The following month, a Dhaka court ordered the seizure of two flats in Dubai and the freezing of two bank accounts under Zeeshan’s name.
Later in May, another order came to confiscate a flat and freeze two more bank accounts belonging to Tahseen.
Benazir served as inspector general of police between Apr 15, 2020, and Sept 30, 2022.
Before that, he held senior roles as the commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) and the director general of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB).
