Court orders confiscation of ex-IGP Benazir’s assets in US and Malaysia

A Dhaka court has ordered the confiscation of two immovable properties in New York and the freezing of two bank accounts at Standard Chartered Bank in the US, as well as two accounts at CIMB Islamic Bank in Malaysia, belonging to former Inspector General of Police Benazir Ahmed.

Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Md Zakir Hossain Galib issued the order on Monday following a plea filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).

The anti-graft body’s Deputy Director Md Hafijul Islam had sought the order.

According to the petition, a case has been filed against former IGP Benazir Ahmed for allegedly amassing illegal wealth amounting to Tk 94.4 million (9.44 crore).

The assets in question were reportedly acquired unlawfully while he was serving as the IGP. The case is currently under investigation.

The petition stated that, based on the information obtained during the investigation, the accused is attempting to transfer properties registered under his name and those of his relatives.

Such actions may hinder the possibility of confiscating the assets in favour of the state upon conclusion of the trial. Therefore, it was deemed necessary to seize the properties before submitting the charge sheet to the court, the ACC petition said.