Bangladesh former Police Chief Benazir Held in Dubai
Md Jahidul Islam
Dhaka:Bangladesh’s former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Benazir Ahmed has been arrested in Dubai.
According to sources, Dubai Police arrested him with the assistance of Interpol in connection with a case filed by Bangladesh’s Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
Bangladesh’s Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed informed the National Parliament (Jatiya Sangsad) on Sunday about the development. He said that a Dhaka court had ordered the issuance of an Interpol warrant for Benazir’s arrest in February last year following an application by the ACC.
Dubai Police arrested him on June 12 with Interpol’s support in an ACC case, the minister said, adding, “We will take necessary actions to bring him back.”
Speaking under Rule 300 during the sixth sitting of the second session of the 13th Jatiya Sangsad, Salahuddin Ahmed said Dubai Police informed the Bangladesh government about the arrest through an email sent on June 12.
Calling it a “historic success” for Bangladesh Police, the minister said the arrest would help end the culture of impunity. “We want to assure the nation that no matter how powerful the criminal is, no one is above the law. This will be a milestone in establishing the rule of law in the country and in the history of Bangladesh,” he said.
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He further stated that a formal extradition request must be sent through diplomatic channels within 30 days of the arrest. The Ministry of Home Affairs will prepare and approve the extradition proposal before forwarding it to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) authorities through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“The police headquarters branch that liaises with Interpol (NCB) will coordinate with the authorities in the UAE capital, Abu Dhabi,” the minister added.
He also expressed hope that Benazir Ahmed would be brought back to Bangladesh soon.
Interpol issued a red notice against Benazir in April 2025 in connection with corruption cases. He is also facing allegations linked to extrajudicial killings and multiple cases related to the July Uprising in 2024, including charges of genocide and crimes against humanity.
On May 4, 2024, Benazir and his family members reportedly left the country after the ACC launched investigations into corruption allegations against them.
On May 3, 2026, a special judge’s court framed charges against him in a case related to amassing wealth beyond known sources of income.
The court began recording testimony from prosecution witnesses on May 13 in a case involving allegations of illegal wealth accumulation, concealment of asset information, and money laundering. The case was filed on December 15, 2024, by ACC Deputy Director Hafizul Islam.
After completing the investigation, Hafizul submitted the charge sheet on November 30, 2025, accusing Benazir of acquiring wealth beyond known sources of income, concealing asset information, and laundering money.
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According to the charge sheet, Benazir declared immovable assets worth Tk 6.45 crore and movable assets worth Tk 5.74 crore in his wealth statement. Investigators, however, found evidence of immovable assets worth Tk 7.52 crore and movable assets worth Tk 8.15 crore, bringing the total value of his assets to Tk 15.68 crore.
The investigation stated that his lawful sources of income amounted to Tk 6.59 crore, while his net savings after expenses stood at Tk 4.63 crore. Investigators alleged that he amassed assets worth Tk 11.04 crore beyond his known sources of income.
Benazir’s wife and daughters are also facing multiple corruption cases.
He is additionally accused in cases related to alleged extrajudicial killings carried out by the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) during his tenure as director general of the elite force between January 2015 and April 2020.
In December 2021, the US Department of the Treasury sanctioned Benazir under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, citing his alleged involvement in serious human rights abuses during his time at RAB.
On June 12, 2024, a court ordered the confiscation of eight apartments and 27.5 acres of land owned by Benazir and his family members, including properties in Dhaka’s Badda and Adabar areas, as well as land in Narayanganj, Bandarban, and Uttara.
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The court also froze additional assets belonging to Benazir and his family members, including 621 bighas of land in Gopalganj and Madaripur, shares in 19 companies, four flats in Gulshan, and several other financial assets.
Furthermore, the court blocked savings certificates worth Tk 30 lakh, 33 bank accounts, and three beneficial owner accounts used for share trading linked to Benazir.
According to media reports, the ACC has so far found that Benazir and his family purchased at least 613.41 bighas of land in different districts, including 605.77 bighas in Gopalganj and Madaripur, some of which allegedly once belonged to members of the Hindu community.
Most of his assets, including the Savanna Eco Resort and Natural Park in his hometown of Gopalganj, were allegedly built during his tenure as RAB chief from January 2015 to April 2020 and later as inspector general of police from April 2020 to September 2022.
Md Jahidul Islam is an award-winning journalist based in Dhaka, Bangladesh and currently serves as Senior Reporter at The Daily Kaler Kantho. He also contributes to several international media outlets. His work focuses on environment, climate change, biodiversity, urban development, politics, governance, migration, human rights, and social justice. He can be contacted at jahid.cou.edu@gmail.com
