The Anti-Corruption Commission on Tuesday decided to interrogate former Inspector General of Police, Benazir Ahmed, and his family members over their alleged accumulation of illegal wealth.
鈥楾he three-member inquiry committee sought permission from the commission to interrogate the former police chief. The commission permitted it to serve a notice to Benazir first and then his family members if needed,鈥� an ACC director general told 抖阴精品.
He also said that the inquiry team would now fix a day for interrogation and聽 send a notice to him within a day or two.
He said that the former police chief was likely to be interrogated on June 6, and his wife and other family members were likely to be interrogated on June 9.
He said that the inquiry team was also preparing documents to obtain court permission to impose a ban on foreign travel by Benazir and his family.
The team has already sent several Mutual Legal Assistance Requests to the Bangladesh Bank鈥檚 Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit to send them to the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada to search for the wealth of Benazir there.
The ACC came up with the progress just days after a Dhaka court ordered authorities concerned to seize the huge wealth of the former police chief.
Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader said on Tuesday in the party office that the ACC was independent and that prime minister Sheikh Hasina had given this freedom to the ACC.
鈥業f there is a case, you have to face a trial. No criminal will go unpunished during Sheikh Hasina鈥檚 tenure,鈥� Quader said, referring to the ACC investigation against Benzir and the corruption allegation against former army chief Aziz Ahmed.
鈥業f former army chief Aziz Ahmed is a criminal, the ACC can also investigate the allegation against him. If you are guilty, you must be punished for your crime. Whoever he is,鈥� he said.
On May 26, the Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Court ordered the authorities to attach 119 more properties, including four apartments of Benazir and his family members, to facilitate the proper investigation into graft allegations against the former top official of the Bangladesh Police.
Earlier on May 23, the same court ordered the freezing of 33 financial accounts, including 27 bank accounts of Benazir and his family members, and it also ordered attaching the properties of the former IGP under 83 deeds in Cox鈥檚 Bazar and Gopalganj districts.
On April 18, ACC, at its commission鈥檚 meeting, decided to carry out an inquiry against Benazir for allegedly accumulating illegal wealth.
Later, a three-member inquiry team, led by its deputy director, Hafizul Islam, was also formed to carry out the inquiry into Benazir and his family members.
Newspapers and electronic media have recently reported on Benazir and his family鈥檚 alleged amassing of illegal wealth.
The reports highlighted the lavish lifestyle of the Benazir family and his holding of shares in different companies.
According to the reports, his 鈥榰nusual assets鈥� did not match the legal sources of income of the former IGP, who received from the government 鈥楽huddhachar Purashkar鈥欌�攁n award given for honesty, morality, and proper financial management, among others.
The reports triggered widespread criticism of Benazir Ahmed and his family members.
In a Facebook post, Benazir, however, claimed media reports about him amassing illegal wealth were false, distorted, and motivated.
鈥楳y family and my name have been falsely mentioned in reports published in newspapers,鈥� he added.
Benazir joined the police force as an assistant superintendent of police in February 1988.
In April 2020, he was promoted to the post of IGP after serving as commissioner of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police and director general of the Rapid Action Battalion.
On December 10, 2021, the United States declared the then IGP Benazir ineligible to enter the country for 鈥榞ross violations of human rights鈥� while serving as RAB director general.
