Former inspector general of police Benazir Ahmed has been arrested in Dubai through Interpol in connection with corruption cases filed by Bangladesh’s Anti-Corruption Commission, officials said.
The Anti-Corruption Commission has filed six cases against Ahmed, including allegations of acquiring wealth beyond known sources of income, passport forgery, abuse of power and money laundering. Authorities said a charge sheet has already been submitted in one of the six cases involving unexplained wealth, and the trial is underway.
Investigators said Ahmed is accused of fraudulently obtaining multiple passports as a private citizen despite being a government official who was required to use an official passport.
Officials said the charge-sheeted case involves 14.62 crore taka, while investigations into five other cases have identified more than 76 crore taka in alleged wealth beyond known income sources.
The Anti-Corruption Commission said Interpol issued a Red Notice based on the passport forgery and illicit wealth cases. Authorities said the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Bangladesh government are coordinating efforts to bring Ahmed back to the country.
“Interpol has arrested him, the Bangladesh government will bring him back soon,” an Anti-Corruption Commission official said.
Ahmed has been under U.S. sanctions since December 2021 for his alleged role, as a senior official of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), in serious human rights abuses, including enforced disappearances, during the government of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina.