A court in Dhaka has formally framed charges and ordered the commencement of the trial in a corruption case against former Inspector General of Police Benazir Ahmed, who stands accused of accumulating assets beyond known sources of income worth over 1.1 billion taka.
On Sunday, Judge Abdullah Al Mamun of the Special Judge Court-5 in Dhaka issued the order framing charges against the accused. With this development, judicial proceedings in the case have officially begun. Court bench assistant Sohanur Rahman confirmed the matter.
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) prosecution was represented in court by lawyer Mir Ahmed Ali Salam, who argued in favour of framing the charges. As the accused is currently absconding, no defence counsel was present on his behalf during the hearing.
Earlier, on 8 March this year, the court accepted the charge sheet and issued an arrest warrant against Benazir Ahmed. The case was originally filed on 15 December 2024 by ACC Deputy Director Hafizul Islam following a detailed investigation. After completion of the inquiry, investigators submitted the charge sheet on 30 November of the previous year.
According to the charge sheet, the former police chief allegedly accumulated assets significantly exceeding his declared income. The investigation reportedly identified a substantial discrepancy between declared wealth and actual holdings in both movable and immovable assets. It also found indications that illicitly obtained funds were concealed, transferred, and converted through multiple channels.
Comparative Asset Statement
| Category | Declared Assets | Investigated Findings |
|---|---|---|
| Immovable assets | Tk 6,45,37,365 | Tk 7,52,68,987 |
| Movable assets | Tk 5,74,89,966 | Tk 8,15,31,264 |
| Total assets | Tk 12,20,27,331 | Over Tk 15,68,00,000 |
| Legal income source | Not specified | Tk 6,59,42,668 |
| Net savings | Not applicable | Tk 4,63,56,675 |
| Illicit wealth | Not declared | Tk 11,04,43,576 |
Investigators stated that the analysis of income and expenditure patterns indicated that a large portion of the assets could not be justified through lawful earnings. They concluded that the excess wealth was likely linked to unlawful sources.
The charge sheet further alleges that Benazir Ahmed invested portions of the allegedly illicit funds in bank accounts, business ventures, and joint stock companies. It also claims that a range of financial transactions and layering techniques were used to conceal the origin of the money and obscure audit trails.
With the framing of charges, the case now moves into the evidentiary stage. The court has scheduled the next hearing for witness testimony on 13 May, when formal examination of evidence is expected to begin.
The proceedings have drawn renewed public and institutional attention to issues of accountability, transparency, and financial scrutiny involving senior former officials in law enforcement.