Bangladesh former Police Chief Benazir Held in Dubai

Md Jahidul Islam

Dhaka: Bangladesh has begun preparations to bring former Inspector General of Police Benazir Ahmed back from the United Arab Emirates after his arrest in Dubai in a corruption case, authorities said.

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed told Parliament that Dubai Police arrested Benazir on June 12 with assistance from Interpol following a request linked to a case filed by Bangladesh’s Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).

The arrest follows an Interpol Red Notice issued against the former police chief in April 2025. A Dhaka court had earlier ordered the issuance of an Interpol warrant after the ACC sought his arrest.

The government now faces the next challenge of securing his extradition. The home minister said Bangladesh must submit a formal extradition request through diplomatic channels within 30 days of the arrest.

The Ministry of Home Affairs will prepare the request before it is forwarded to UAE authorities through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Bangladesh Police’s National Central Bureau, which coordinates with Interpol, will also work with UAE authorities on the process.

Salahuddin described the arrest as a significant development for Bangladesh’s law-enforcement institutions, saying it demonstrated that powerful individuals could also be held accountable.

Benazir left Bangladesh with his family in May 2024 after the ACC began investigating allegations of corruption and unexplained wealth. He is now facing several cases involving alleged illegal accumulation of assets, concealment of wealth information and money laundering.

A special judge’s court framed charges against him in May 2026 in a case concerning wealth allegedly acquired beyond his known sources of income. Prosecutors have also begun presenting witnesses in the case.

According to the ACC charge sheet, Benazir declared total assets of around Tk 12.19 crore, but investigators identified assets worth approximately Tk 15.68 crore. His known lawful income was assessed at Tk 6.59 crore, while investigators alleged that he accumulated Tk 11.04 crore in assets beyond his known sources of income.

Authorities have also taken action against assets linked to Benazir and his family. Courts have ordered the confiscation or freezing of numerous properties, bank accounts, shares and other financial holdings in different parts of Bangladesh.

The former police chief faces allegations beyond financial crimes. He has also been accused in cases involving alleged extrajudicial killings linked to his tenure as director general of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) from 2015 to 2020, as well as cases connected to the 2024 July uprising.

In December 2021, the US Treasury sanctioned Benazir under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act over alleged serious human rights abuses during his tenure at RAB.

Benazir’s wife and daughters are also facing corruption proceedings related to the family’s assets.

The Dubai arrest has therefore shifted the case from Bangladesh’s domestic courts to an international extradition process, with Dhaka now seeking to secure the former police chief’s return to face the allegations against him.

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