The allegations against former inspector general of police Benazir Ahmed have become one of the most striking symbols of the corruption and abuse of power that critics say flourished during the government of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina.
Once one of Bangladesh’s most powerful law enforcement officials, Ahmed now faces multiple corruption cases involving alleged illicit wealth, money laundering and passport fraud. Investigators say the wealth under scrutiny exceeds 76 crore taka (about US$6.2 million), while one charge-sheeted case alone involves 14.62 crore taka (about US$1.2 million) in assets allegedly acquired beyond known sources of income.
His arrest in Dubai through Interpol has intensified scrutiny of the former administration, raising questions about how senior officials accumulated vast wealth and allegedly operated with little accountability. For many observers, the case is not just about one former police chief. It has come to represent broader allegations of entrenched corruption, political protection and institutional decay that opponents argue characterized the Hasina era.
Ahmed has also been under U.S. sanctions since December 2021 over alleged human rights abuses linked to the Rapid Action Battalion, including enforced disappearances. Taken together, the corruption allegations, sanctions and ongoing investigations have made his case a focal point in debates over accountability for senior officials who served under the previous government.