Accused Former Police Chief Benazir Ahmed Spotted in Australia
The Daily Kaler Kantho published a report, ‘Benazir is now in Australia’, about the former Inspector General of Police (IGP) accused of corruption.
In the detailed part of the news, it has been said that the former IGP fled Bangladesh to avoid arrest on corruption charges. Ahmed has visited different countries, including Singapore, Malaysia, Dubai, and Portugal, and is now settled in Australia.
He was seen at a domestic meeting held in Sydney on September 8. A picture of it has come to Kaler Kantha’s hands.
Benazir, once a mighty police officer, took corruption to the level of art by defeating fairy tales. There is publicity, and he used to change the bribe rate by an hour under the guise of an honest man.
With dust in everyone’s eyes, he built a vast empire of wealth with that money. Kaler Kantha’s investigative report became the time of his illegal wealth. The mountains of corrupt Benazir’s wealth collapsed in one shock of the noisy report across the country. The government seized vast illicit empire wealth, including Savannah Park in Gopalganj, bungalows in Rupganj, and croplands in Madaripur. An oversight committee was formed for this. Later, Benazir left everything and fled and survived.
What is the condition of Benazir’s huge house, flat, wealth, and money after it went into the hands of the government? There is still an intense discussion among the people. Benazir had to flee the country after the news of corruption broke secretly.
There were reports then that he was upset that he had to leave the country despite having the government’s blessings. However, when the close associates of the Awami League, who lost power in a sudden mass uprising, faced jail and fines one by one for murder, corruption, and looting, there was a buzz that Benazir had already escaped and survived. Otherwise, he would have to face the wrath of the angry students and people.
Kaler Kantha has inquired about Benazir’s latest situation regarding its current location and assets. It is known that the luxurious four flats in Gulshan, the capital, are locked. No one lives there. Once, the government people came and saw it.
An oversight committee has been formed for this. Later, Benazir left everything and fled and survived.
What is the condition of Benazir’s huge house, flat, wealth, and money after it went into the hands of the government? There is still a strong discussion among the people. Benazir had to secretly flee the country after the news of corruption broke.
There were reports then that he was upset that he had to leave the country despite having the government’s blessings. However, when the close associates of the Awami League, who lost power in a sudden mass uprising, faced jail and fines one by one for murder, corruption, and looting, there was a buzz that Benazir had already escaped and survived. Otherwise, he would have to face the wrath of the angry students and people.
Kaler Kantha has inquired about the latest situation of Benazir’s current location and assets. It is known that the luxurious four flats in Gulshan, the capital, are locked. No one lives there. Once, the government people came and saw it.
Meanwhile, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has found illegal assets worth Tk 434.67 million of Benazir, his wife, and their two daughters. Now, the case will be filed only after the commission approves it. However, Benazir Ahmed submitted his wealth statement last month. As a result, the process of filing an illegal assets case is stuck in legal opinion on whether to submit his wealth statement from a fugitive position. And if the commission accepts Benazir’s wealth statement, it will need the necessary time to scrutinize it. ACC sources confirmed this information.
Benazir and his family fled to Singapore in the name of treatment of his wife immediately after the news was published in Kaler Kantha on March 31 and April 2. From there, they went to the Malaysian house bought by Benazir under the ‘Malaysia My Second Home’ project. Then, he went to Dubai with his family from Malaysia. Leaving his family there, he went to Portugal. After visiting different countries of the world, he is currently staying in Sydney, the capital of Australia. He held an in-house meeting in Sydney on September 8. Some people were participating in the elections of that country. A picture of that discussion has come into the hands of Kaler Kantha. Besides, Bangladeshi people living in that country have written to the Australian Home Ministry about Benazir’s escape.
Illegal wealth of Tk 43 crore: The ACC investigation team submitted their primary investigation report to the commission at the beginning of July. There is evidence of unlawful wealth worth a total of Tk 43 crore 46 lakh 72 thousand 152 in the name of Benazir Ahmed and her family members. According to the report, evidence of illegal wealth worth a total of Tk 9 crore 25 lakh 72 thousand 565 has been found in the name of Benazir Ahmed. Zeeshan Mirza’s wife has amassed illegal wealth worth Tk 21.34 crore. Besides, evidence of illicit assets worth Tk 8 crore 10 lakh 89 thousand 696 in the name of their eldest daughter Farheen Rishta Binte Benazir and Tk 4 crore 75 lakh 59 thousand 848 in the name of their second daughter Tahsin Raisa Binte Benazir has been found. These assets have been frozen by court order.
Four flats in Gulshan owned by Benazir Ahmed’s family are locked. The security guards in the building are not talking much about those flats. However, everyone living in the building and nearby knows that Benazir has four flats.
Security personnel said this when they went to the spot on Tuesday afternoon. These four flats are located in Rancon Icon Tower, Road No. 126, Gulshan-1. Two of them are 2,242 square feet, and the other two are 2,353 square feet.
When asked about the security guard of the building, Shakib said that no one lives in those flats. It is locked. ACC officials visited two months ago.
Savannah Park of Gopalganj: The Savannah Eco Resort and Natural Park, discussed by Benazir Ahmed, is managed by the receiver committee under government management. The resort’s income is deposited in the supervisory committee’s bank account, and the salaries and allowances of the employees for the maintenance and operation of the establishment are spent from there.
Member Secretary of the Receiver Committee and Deputy Director of Gopalganj Anti-Corruption Commission. Mashiur Rahman told Kaler Kantho, “Benazir Ahmed’s Savannah Eco Resort and Natural Park, Dairy Farm, and other assets or establishments in Gopalganj are many. A lot of people are needed to maintain these structures. Compared to that, the income is less. So at the end of the month, we have to get speed to pay salaries. For this reason, on August 18, an application was filed with the Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court to manage the assets of Benazir Ahmed in Gopalganj through lease. ’
According to the court order, the district administration took control of Savannah Park by appointing a receiver on June 7. On Thursday (June 13), the Anti-Corruption Commission formed a six-member oversight committee with the deputy commissioner as convener and the deputy director of Gopalganj Anti-Corruption Commission as member secretary to oversee the park’s overall maintenance and management activities.
Huge cropland in Madaripur: Benazir Ahmed has purchased croplands worth crores of taka in different mouzas of Rajoir upazila of Madaripur district. He intimidated some with his people and bought some cropland strategically. The court order on these properties is still in force when applying for the ACC. Farmers want to regain their properties once the legal work is completed quickly.
The documents purchased in the wife’s name, Zeeshan Mirza, show about 273 bighas. The purchase price of these lands is shown as Tk 10 crore 21 lakh 25 thousand. However, the purchase price is much higher than the value shown in the documents. There were 113 documents from January 2021 to August 2022.
Bhasharam Sen of Aruakandi village in Kadambari union of Rajoir upazila said, “24 acres and 83 percent of the cropland belongs to our family people. The former police chief bought all of this land. He paid Tk 3.5 lakh per bigha. About two years ago, Benazir Ahmed and his family took this land through intimidation. First, he bought land from all sides and forced us to write it down as we had land in the middle. ’
Rajoir Upazila Nirbahi Officer Mahfuzul Haque said, “The matter of these properties is still the same as per the High Court order. There is no change. ’
The duplex house of former IGP Benazir Ahmed at Chorab village in Dakkhinbagh mouza of Rupganj is now under the control of the district administration. The house is built on 24 kathas of land and is maintained by security guards and village police. Meanwhile, there was a 10-katha plot in Sector 17 of Purbachal Upazila. He sold this plot. He sold the plot about a year ago.
The house of Ananda Housing is now deserted. A security guard and village police look after the house, and sometimes people come to see it.
Twenty-five acres of hilly land in Bandarban: Benazir Ahmed and his family grabbed 25 acres of hills in Bandarban and created a rubber garden with a 25-year lease for rubber cultivation. On the contrary, they have earned Tk 2 crore by obtaining fake free permits of about 15,000 cubic feet of wood in favor of this land.
Benazir Ahmed got 25 acres of hill leased in the name of his wife, Zeeshan Mirza, and daughter, Farheen Rishta Binte Benazir, in Sualak Mouza of Bandarban Sadar Upazila. While changing his name, he hid his identity and district information and mentioned himself as a resident of Sualak Mouza No. 314 of Bandarban Sadar Upazila.
However, on July 4, Bandarban Deputy Commissioner Shah Mojahid Uddin himself appeared in court and locked the gate of the plot and its movable and immovable assets in the government’s custody. Yesterday, it was seen that the gate was still locked. Luxury resthouses and other structures are lying empty.
