ALLEGATIONS against the former Inspector General of Police Benazir Ahmed, now being investigated by the Anti-Corruption Commission for amassing illegal wealth, of intimidating poor peasants and forcing them to sell their land, violating the Government Servants (Conduct) Rules in buying assets and using the law enforcement agencies to intimidate people are gravely concerning. The allegations, if true, constitute serious criminal offence and an abuse of power. The Bangladesh Hindu, Buddhist and Christian Unity Council on June 7 alleged that the former police chief, also a former Rapid Action Battalion director general, grabbed the land of poor Hindu and Christian families. A team of the organisation earlier visited Savanna Eco Resort and Natural Park that Benazir and his family owned in Gopalganj and spoke to the victims. In most instances, Benazir is alleged to have used the law enforcement agencies to intimidate the poor people of minority groups in Gopalganj and force them to sell land for lower prices. In Madaripur, too, Benazir used the same sort of intimidation and bought land. The Anti-Corruption Commission has so far found that the family has bought more than 200 acres of land only in Gopalganj and Madaripur.
Similar allegations of land purchase by intimidating poor people have been reported from other areas. Benazir and his family bought about 60 acres of land in Kaliganj, Gazipur, mostly from Hindu and Christian communities. He is also reported to have grabbed and bought more than 100 acres of land in Bandarban from ethnic minority people. The use of force, threat and intimidation has been reported in these places, too. In some areas, Awami League leaders and activists, besides the law enforcers, are reported to have helped him. His assets in Bandarban are, for an example, looked after by a Bandarban Swechchhasebak League leader. He is also alleged to have abused his power in buying land and flats in Dhaka and acquiring shares of various companies. When such an amount of wealth does not match the known source of income of the former police chief, well connected to the ruling Awami League and often having made the headlines for his statements in favour of the party, it is evident that he violated the Government Servants (Conduct) Rules, which bars government employees or family from starting a business establishment without government permission. It also specifies that permission is required if property worth more than Tk 250,000 is bought or sold by a government employee.
The government and the Anti-Corruption Commission must, therefore, look into the allegations of intimidation and threats in purchasing and grabbing the land by the former police chief and, if the allegations are true, must bring him to justice and compensate the victims.
