Wealth, awards piled up as he grew in power
Former police chief Benazir Ahmed kept receiving prestigious police awards even as he and his family continued to accumulate huge wealth, buying acre upon acre of land and other properties in different parts of the country.
In about 35 years of service, he was awarded the Bangladesh Police Medal (BPM), the highest medal of the force, five times.
Benazir, who also headed Rab, received the Best Taxpayer Award and the Integrity Award.
He was inspector general of police from 2020-2022.
More than two years after his retirement, his name is appearing on headlines again after a Dhaka court earlier this month ordered the confiscation of his and his family members' assets in connection with an ongoing investigation into alleged corruption.
ACC documents show Benazir and his family bought at least 204.5 acres of land between 2009 and 2023.
Of these, 112 acres were purchased during his tenure as the IGP and Rab chief.
So far, investigators have located his land in Dhaka, Gopalganj, Madaripur and Cox's Bazar.
Of all his land, nearly 112 acres are in Gopalganj, his hometown.
Benazir was awarded the BPM in 2011, 2012, 2014, 2016 and 2019 for his courageous role in the force, anti-militancy drive, political violence, and his contributions during the 11th parliamentary elections respectively, according to sources in the Police Headquarters.
Each BPM award included a medal, Tk 100,000, and a certificate. Additionally, a Tk 1,500 allowance was added to the basic salary every time he won an award, according to police sources.
As the commissioner of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) from 2010 to 2015, Benazir received BPM awards for his actions against Hefazat-e-Islam in 2013 and for suppressing political violence, curbing petrol bomb attacks, and leading the anti-militancy drive during the Holey Artisan café attack, which left 22 people dead, including two police officials.
Benazir, who studied English literature at Dhaka University, then served as the director general (DG) of Rapid Action Battalion from 2015 to 2020.
The Public Security Division of the Home Ministry honoured him with the Integrity Award 2020-21.
He and his family bought nearly 87.9 acres of land in 2020 and 2021, ACC data show.
The Integrity Award winners receive a certificate, a crest, and an amount equivalent to a month's basic salary. After receiving the award in June 2022, Benazir announced he would donate the prize money to support flood victims in Sylhet and Sunamganj.
According to the National Integrity Strategy, integrity refers to behavioural excellence influenced by ethics and adherence to timeless standards, principles and customs of society. At the individual level, it means scrupulousness and honesty.
Benazir was named the best taxpayer in 2021 by the National Board of Revenue.
At the time he was named the best tax payer, he and his family owned more than 138 acres of land.
Despite repeated attempts in the last two days, this newspaper could not reach Benazir over the phone.
Contacted yesterday, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan said, "We follow some criteria while selecting the recipient of the integrity award. We will see how he got the award."
Badiul Alam Majumdar, secretary of Shushashoner Jonno Nagorik (Shujan), said, "Using unchecked power, Benazir Ahmed amassed huge wealth. It was an open secret. But no one, including the Anti-Corruption Commission, dared taking steps against him because he was so influential. What the former police chief has done is beyond imagination.
"When he had power, he could do whatever he wanted and get away with it. He thought it would always be like this. As he is out of the government's favour at the moment, action is being taken against him."
The authorities should conduct thorough verifications before conferring prestigious recognitions like the integrity award, he said.
"I also wonder whether the authorities were in deep sleep when Benazir was indulging in corruption as the chief of Rab and police."
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