Court orders seizing more assets of Benazir 

In the latest development of the legal proceedings against former inspector general of police (IGP) Benazir Ahmed and his family, a Dhaka court has ordered the seizure of additional assets in the third phase.

The seized properties include various assets registered under the names of Benazir, his wife Zeeshan Mirza, and their daughters.

Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge Mohammad As-Shams Jaglul Hossain passed this order on Tuesday (12 June) following an application by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). ACC lawyer Mahmud Hossain Jahangir confirmed the matter to The Business Standard.

The seized properties consist of diverse assets—24 katha of land in Rupganj, 3 katha in Uttara, two flats on 39.30 katha of land in Badda, 25 acres of land in Bandarban district, six flats in the PC Culture Housing near Adabar police station registered under wife Zeeshan's name, a 6-storey building in Gulshan obtained through power of attorney from his father, and shares in Citizen TV and Tiger Apparels.

ACC Deputy Director Hafizul Islam, who is investigating the case against Benazir, filed the application.

Citing media reports, the application said the former IGP Benazir allegedly amassed significant wealth through abuse of power and corruption, both in Bangladesh and abroad, in his own name and in the names of his wife and daughters.

The ACC application notes, "Reliable sources indicate that the accused are trying to transfer their assets. If they succeed, it will thwart efforts to confiscate these assets as part of the legal process."

To ensure a fair investigation and justice, the application emphasises the need to freeze both immovable and movable properties owned by the accused.

On 23 and 26 May, the court ordered the seizure of 621 bighas of land owned by Benazir's family. 

The court also directed the seizure of 38 bank accounts and assets owned by the family's companies. In total, the court ordered the seizure of nearly Tk23 crore worth of assets within two days.

The seized properties include four flats in Rancon Icon Towers, Gulshan, Dhaka, with a combined value of Tk2.19 crore. 

Three of these flats, worth Tk1.65 crore, are registered under the name of Benazir's wife, Zeeshan. The fourth flat, valued at Tk53.5 lakh, is owned by one of the daughters, Zara Jerin Binte Benazir. 

On June 6, a Dhaka court ordered the appointment of receivers to manage and oversee the seized properties of Benazir and his family, under the Money Laundering Prevention Act and the Anti-Corruption Commission rules. 

The receivers will manage properties in various districts, with specific officials assigned to each location—Gopalganj and Madaripur's Rajoir upazila will be overseen by the deputy director of the Department of Agricultural Extension and the District Fisheries officer of Gopalganj; Cox's Bazar by the deputy commissioner; Shibchar upazila in Madaripur by the Upazila Nirbahi Officer; Savar upazila in Dhaka by the Upazila Nirbahi Officer; and four flats in Gulshan, Dhaka by the director of the ACC Asset Management Unit. 

The court instructed the deputy commissioners and superintendents of police to assist the receivers legally and administratively. 

Receivers must submit an income-expenditure account to the court every two months and a comprehensive statement every six months, excluding service charges, following ACC rules. 

The ACC's regional directors and deputy directors will monitor the proper maintenance and management of the properties.