ACC summons ex-IGP Benazir, family for quizzing; will search for assets in UAE, UK, US

The Anti-Corruption Commission has summoned former inspector general of police (IGP) Benazir Ahmed and his family members for questioning over allegations of illegally acquired wealth following the freezing of their Beneficiary Owners (BO) accounts by the securities regulator.

The commission will also search for Benazir's assets in Dubai, United Kingdom, United States and Canada, ACC lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan told TBS today. 

"If illegal assets outside of his and his family's known income are found in those countries, the ACC will follow legal procedures to seize and confiscate them," he added.

The ACC sent a notice to Benazir today, asking him to appear at its headquarters on 6 June and his wife and children on 9 June, commission sources told TBS.

According to the ACC, the former IGP showed a huge amount of assets in his income tax file, but the commission plans to look into the legitimate sources of those assets and his income generation.

On 27 May, at the request of the ACC, the Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission sent a letter to the Central Depository Bangladesh Limited (CDBL), instructing it to freeze the BO accounts tied to Benazir and his family.

The CDBL usually facilitates the transfer and settlement of shares and other securities against BO accounts.

According to the BSEC letter, Benazir Ahmed, his wife Zeeshan Mirza and his daughter Tahseen Raisa Binte Benazir have six separate BO accounts in five brokerage firms: IFIC Securities, Dragon Securities, Southeast Bank Capital Services, EBL Securities, and Dynasty Securities Ltd.

When BO accounts are frozen, no transactions, including trading of securities or shares, are permitted. However, deposits can be made into these accounts, yet withdrawals are restricted.

The BSEC directive says the six BO accounts must be frozen until further notice, following an order from the Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Court in Dhaka.

The specific amount of funds invested through these BO accounts, however, remains undisclosed. Official representatives from the BSEC declined to provide any formal comments on the matter.

Confiscation of Benazir's properties

Following a petition filed by the ACC on 19 May, a Dhaka court ordered the seizure of all properties listed in 119 deeds and other documents under Benazir and his family members' names.

Previously, in response to another petition on 23 May, the same Dhaka court ordered the seizure of 345 bighas of property listed in 83 documents under Benazir and his family members' names. The ACC stated in the court application that these lands are situated in Gopalganj and Cox's Bazar areas.

The court also ordered the seizure of 276 bighas of land registered under Benazir Ahmed and his wife Zeeshan Mirza's names in Satpara Dumuria Mauza of Madaripur Rajoir upazila.

Furthermore, four companies under his family members' names, as well as partial shares in 15 companies, have been instructed for seizure.

In total, approximately 621 bighas of land owned by Benazir and his family members have been ordered for confiscation. Most of these lands, about 521 bighas, are owned by Benazir's wife Zeeshan Mirza.

According to the ACC's court filings, the acquisition of 621 bighas of land, establishment of companies, and purchase of shares in 15 companies occurred between May 2020 and August 2022.

Benazir Ahmed served as the Inspector General of Police from 15 April 2020 to 30 September 2022. Before this, he held positions as the commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police and director general of the Rapid Action Battalion.

Benazir was among those sanctioned by the US in December 2021 for alleged human rights violations while he was serving as the IGP.

Following the publication of the news report concerning Benazir's assets, Barrister Syed Sayedul Haque Sumon, an independent member of parliament for Habiganj 4 constituency, urged the ACC to investigate the matter.