A court in Dhaka has ordered police to confiscate 119 more properties in the names of former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Benazir Ahmed, his wife, and daughters, and four flats in his name at Gulshan in the capital.
At the same time, the court ordered to confiscate the shares in their names at different companies and family savings certificates with Sonali Bank Limited.
Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge Court and Senior Special Judge Mohammad Ash-Shams Jaglul Hossain delivered the order on Sunday (May 26). Special public prosecutor of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Mahmud Hossain Jahangir confirned it.
He said the same court on Thursday last ordered confiscating the former IGP's properties of 83 deeds. Then the ACC found the existence of his more properties. Seeking attachment of those properties, the ACC filed a prayer to the same court on Sunday. After the hearing, the court granted the prayer of the ACC.
The sources said the court ordered to confiscate 114 deeds stating hundreds of bighas of land at Rajoir Police Station in Madaripur district, a dozen pieces of land in Savar, Savanna Agro Limited in the name of Benazir's family, and the property in the name of 'Ekti Shishirbindu'.
Moreover, family savings certificates worth Tk 30 lakh with Sonali Bank Limited, Benazir's family members' shares in Shanta and Lanka Bangla companies, and partial shares in the names of different members of Benazir's family have been ordered to confiscate.
These properties were purchased or forcibly realised in the names of Benazir Ahmed, his wife Jishan Mirza, elder daughter Farhin Rista Binte Benazir and younger daughter Tahsin Raisa Binte Benazir.
ACC deputy director Hafizul Islam submitted the prayer to the court. It was mentioned in the prayer that petitions would be submitted if more properties were found later on.
Earlier on Thursday, the court ordered to confiscate 345 bighas (114 acres) of land in the names of Benazir, his wife and daughters. Besides, the court ordered to freeze the 33 bank accounts in their names with different state-owned and private commercial banks.
The court sources said the copy of the orders were sent to the ACC to take effective measures.
Benazir Ahmed was the IGP from April 15, 2020 to September 30, 2022. Earlier, he was the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) commissioner and Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) director general. Benazir Ahmed was among the seven former and present RAB officials who came under the US sanction in December 2021 on charge of violation of human rights. He was the IGP at that time.
PP Mahmud Hossain said no money can be withdrawn from the bank accounts in the names of Benazir Ahmed, his wife and daughters according to the court order.
Besides, it will not be possible to transfer any property. These will remain under the control of the court.
