Former Inspector General of Police Benazir Ahmed has been arrested in Dubai in connection with a corruption case filed by Bangladesh’s Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), according to police officials.
A senior official at Police Headquarters confirmed on Sunday that the arrest was carried out with the assistance of Interpol. According to local media reports, Bangladeshi authorities received official confirmation of the development from the United Arab Emirates.
Further details about the arrest and any possible extradition proceedings to bring Benazir Ahmed back to Bangladesh have not yet been disclosed.
Benazir Ahmed served as Inspector General of Police from April 2020 until September 2022, following previous stints as Director General of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police.
The former police chief has been facing multiple investigations and legal proceedings over allegations of corruption, money laundering and the accumulation of wealth beyond known sources of income.
The ACC launched an investigation into Benazir Ahmed’s assets in 2024 following allegations that he and members of his family owned extensive properties, businesses and financial assets that were not consistent with his declared income.
In December 2024, the anti-graft agency filed a case accusing Benazir Ahmed of concealing asset information, acquiring illegal wealth and engaging in money laundering. Investigators alleged that he had accumulated significant assets that could not be explained through legitimate earnings.
The ACC later submitted a charge sheet against Benazir Ahmed under the Anti-Corruption Commission Act, the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Money Laundering Prevention Act.
In March this year, a Dhaka court issued an arrest warrant after accepting the charge sheet. Prosecutors told the court that evidence gathered during the investigation supported allegations of undisclosed wealth, concealed assets and suspicious financial transactions.
The trial against Benazir Ahmed formally began in May at a special court in Dhaka. The former police chief did not appear before the court and was reported to be outside the country at the time.
The arrest marks a significant development in one of Bangladesh’s most high-profile corruption cases involving a former senior law enforcement official. However, authorities in Bangladesh and the United Arab Emirates have yet to announce the next steps regarding his legal status or any extradition process.
