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Published : 15 Jun 2026, 01:49 PM
Fresh details have emerged about corruption allegations and ongoing criminal cases against former Bangladesh police chief Benazir Ahmed following his arrest in Dubai.
Benazir, who served as inspector general of police (IGP) and previously as director general of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) under the Awami League government, retired in September 2022 after more than two years as police chief.
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) launched an investigation into Benazir after local media reported extensive assets allegedly owned by him and his family. The probe uncovered hundreds of hectares of land, multiple flats, resorts, company shares and business investments. A court later ordered the seizure of many of those assets and froze related bank accounts.
Benazir left Bangladesh with his wife and two daughters on May 4, 2024, before court-imposed travel restrictions took effect.
After the fall of the Awami League government during the July Uprising, a series of extortion and attempted murder cases were filed against Benazir. The ACC subsequently filed six corruption-related cases.
Benazir is the principal accused in three of the cases. In three separate cases against his wife, Jishan Mirza, and daughters Farhin Rishta Binte Benazir and Tahsin Raisa Binte Benazir, he has been named as an accomplice. His name has also appeared in cases involving allegations of crimes against humanity and mass killings.
Five ACC cases are under investigation, while the trial in one case involving alleged illegal wealth has already begun, with Benazir being tried in absentia as a fugitive. ACC hopes for a quick settlement of the case.
Authorities said an Interpol Red Notice was issued against Ahmed based on cases involving illegal wealth and passport fraud. Acting on that notice, Dubai authorities arrested him on Friday.
Benazir is currently in the custody of Dubai police and is expected to be returned to Bangladesh soon, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed told parliament on Sunday, adding that no one would be spared from justice, regardless of influence or status.
ACC Assistant Director (Prosecution) Akkas Ali said the illegal wealth case against Benazir is currently at the testimony recording stage, while the remaining five cases involving him and his family are still under investigation.
ACC Deputy Director (Public Relations) Akhtarul Islam said the Interpol Red Notice was issued against Benazir in connection with passport fraud and unexplained wealth allegations which led to his arrest in Dubai.
Lawyer Mir Ahmed Ali Salam, representing the ACC, said testimony from five witnesses has already been recorded in the illicit wealth case. An arrest warrant remains in force because Benazir is absconding, he added.
"The trial of this case will be completed as soon as possible. In addition, initiatives will be taken to complete the other cases as soon as their investigations end."
Cases Under Trial
On Dec 15, 2024, ACC Deputy Director Hafizul Islam filed a case accusing Benazir of acquiring more than Tk 110 million in assets beyond known sources of income.
According to the charge sheet submitted on Nov 30, he is charged with acquiring wealth beyond known sources of income, concealing information about wealth, and money laundering.
The charge sheet says that investigators found evidence of assets worth about Tk 156.8 million, including both movable and immovable property.
Benazir had declared assets worth approximately Tk 122 million, but investigators alleged he concealed a substantial portion of his holdings.
The charge sheet says that Benazir declared immovable assets worth Tk 64.5 million and movable assets worth Tk 57.4 million in his submitted asset declaration. However, during the investigation, evidence was found of immovable assets worth Tk 75.2 million, and movable assets worth Tk 81.5 million owned by him.
The ACC said his legitimate income amounted to about Tk 65.9 million, leaving unexplained assets valued at approximately Tk 110.4 million after accounting for expenditures and savings.
Investigators further alleged that Benazir concealed the source and ownership of the funds and invested, transformed and laundered money through different bank accounts, businesses and investment entities.
A court issued an arrest warrant against him on Mar 8. Formal charges were framed on May 3, and witness testimony began on May 13. The next hearing is scheduled for Jun 23.
Five Cases Under Investigation
On Feb 20, 2025, the ACC filed a money laundering case against Benazir, his wife Jishan and their two daughters Farhin and Tahsin. The case is under investigation now.
According to the case documents, investigators found that he withdrew more than Tk 113 million in cash but found no evidence of where the money was subsequently invested. He allegedly left the country shortly after the withdrawals.
The ACC also alleged that family members prematurely encashed fixed deposit accounts during 2024 and that investigators could not identify legitimate sources for those funds and believed that Benazir accumulated those funds through bribery and corruption while holding the posts of IGP and RAB chief.
Accomplice in Cases Against Wife and Daughters:
The ACC filed separate illegal wealth cases against Benazir's wife and daughters on Dec 15, 2024. He has been named as an accomplice in the cases.
Prosecutors allege that Jishan acquired assets worth Tk 316.9 million beyond known income and concealed information about assets worth Tk 160 million.
Farhin is accused of acquiring unexplained assets worth Tk 87.5 million, while Tahsin is accused of possessing unexplained assets worth Tk 55.9 million.
The ACC alleges that the assets were acquired through income generated by Benazir's abuse of public office.
Passport Fraud Case :
On Oct 14, 2024, the ACC filed a passport fraud case against Benazir and four other officials.
According to investigators, Benazir falsely identified himself as a private-sector employee in passport applications despite holding senior government positions, including RAB director general, Dhaka Metropolitan Police commissioner and later inspector general of police.
The ACC alleges he obtained machine-readable and electronic passports without the required government no-objection certificates.
The other accused include former passport office directors Md. Fazlul Haque and Munshi Mueed Ikram, director Abdullah Al Mamun and Sahena Haque, technical manager of the e-passport and automated border control project.
Prosecutors allege the officials knowingly approved Benazir's passport applications without properly verifying his government employment status.
Benazir served as Bangladesh's inspector general of police from April 2020 to September 2022. Before that, he was director general of the Rapid Action Battalion from January 2015 to April 2020.
