Staff Reporter:
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has found more assets of the family members of former inspector general of police (IGP) Benazir Ahmed, and of those, another 276 bighas (91 acres) of land properties were found in the name of his wife Zeeshan Mirza.
Besides, the anti-graft watchdog has also found four flats owned by Benazir’s wife and one of their daughters in the capital’s posh area, Gulshan.
A total of 9,192 square feet in size, the flats were bought just in a day – 5 March 2023, six months before the top police official went on retirement, and the total prices were only Tk2.19 crore.
Apart from land properties and flats, the ACC has found shares of 19 companies, three beneficiary owner (BO) accounts for trading shares, and savings certificates of Tk30 lakh in the names of Benazir, his wife and their children.
A Dhaka court on Sunday ordered the authorities concerned to confiscate these movable and immovable properties belonging to the former IGP and his family members.
Judge Mohammad As-Shams Jaglul Hossain of Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge’s Court passed the order following a hearing after ACC Deputy Director Md Hafizul Islam, also the inquiry officer of the matter, submitted an application in this regard.
During the hearing, Public Prosecutor Mahmud Hossain Jahangir said the ACC sent letters to the authorities concerned in different districts asking for information about assets owned by Benazir Ahmed and his family members.
As per the new information, the commission found more assets in their names and those properties could be transferred if not seized, he said.
After the hearing, the court passed a fresh order to seize the newly found assets.
On 23 May, the same court ordered the confiscation of 345 bighas (114 acres) of land properties in Gopalganj, encompassed by 83 deeds, and the freezing of 33 bank accounts belonging to Benazir and his family members.
It is to be mentioned that several newspapers, including the Kaler Kantho and the Daily Sun, in early April published a series of reports detailing the wealth and properties allegedly acquired through illegal means by Benazir Ahmed and his family members, which sparked widespread discussion across the country.
276 bighas of land properties newly found
The ACC has found afresh 276 bighas of land properties, located at Shatpar Dumuria mouja in Madaripur, in the name of Benazir’s wife Zeeshan Mirza.
The lands worth Tk10.22 crore were bought in 113 deeds at different times in the years of 2021 and 2022. The value of 345 bighas of land, which the ACC found earlier, was shown Tk16.15 crore.
According to the anti-graft watchdog, the lands in Madaripur were purchased in Zeeshan’s name when Benazir was serving as the IGP.
So far, the court has ordered to confiscate a total of 621 bighas of land properties, of which, Zeeshan owns 521 bighas of land, and the rest are owned by Benazir, their three daughters – Farheen Rishta Binte Benazir, Tahseen Raisa Binte Benazir, and Zahra Zareen Binte Benazir, and relative Abu Sayeed Md Khaled.
It could not be known what Zeeshan’s occupation was when Benazir was serving in Bangladesh Police. After graft allegations came to the fore, the former IGP claimed in a video message that his wife and their children have fish farms.
Four ‘cheap’ flats in Gulshan
Of the four flats at Rancon Icon Towers in Gulshan, three belong to Zeeshan and the other is owned by their younger daughter, who was a minor at the time of purchasing the flat, according to the ACC.
The values of two flats – each 2,353 square feet in size – were Tk56 lakh each only. Two other flats – each 2,243 square feet in size – were valued at Tk53.50 lakh each only.
As per calculation, four flats have been bought for Tk2,383 per square feet, while real estate businesses said that it was not possible to buy a flat at this price anywhere in the capital.
Citing the Research Intelligence Unit, the Real Estate and Housing Association of Bangladesh (REHAB) last year said the highest prices of flats in the capital are in Gulshan where the value of a flat per square feet was $166, currently equal to Tk19,422.
Confiscation of shares
The court has ordered the seizure of the assets of Savanna Natural Park, Savanna Eco Resort and an organisation called Shishir Bindu, which are entirely owned by Benazir and his family members. Besides, it has also ordered to seize their shares in 15 other companies.
The companies are – Police Trust Industrial Product, Police Trust Service and Entertainment, Police Trust Construction and Development, Community Bank, Community Bank Investment, North’s Chicks Rangpur, Northern Business Associates, St Peter’s School of London, Stealth Industries, Bangla Tea Manufacturing Industries, Delta Artisan, East Valley Dairy, Green Multimedia, Center for Security and Law Enforcement Research, and Southern Business Initiative.
