Former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Benazir Ahmed has been implicated in an incident where forest department land was allegedly acquired for a one-fourth equity share in a luxury resort in Gazipur owned by a prominent industrial conglomerate.
The development of the Bhawal Resort and Spa in Gazipur Sadar upazila was led by The Amber Group, a subsidiary of the Partex Group, across 160 bighas of land in Naljani village, Bhawalgarh union.
A recent investigation by the Bangla daily ‘Kaler Kantho’ estimated the current value of the land to be around Tk32 crore. Apart from involvement in the land acquisition for the resort, Benazir Ahmed is reported to have invested undisclosed earnings in various ventures including Padma Bank, the Canadian University of Bangladesh, and hotels in Cox’s Bazar and Dubai, among others.
Media scrutiny has revealed Benazir Ahmed’s extensive property holdings, including a tourism resort, shares in a five-star hotel, deluxe apartments in Dhaka, and plots in Purbachal.
These holdings seem disproportionate to his official earnings of Tk1.85 crore over his tenure as the 30th IGP. During his time as the director general of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), allegations suggest Benazir Ahmed abused his power by encroaching on forest land for personal gain.
The Bhawal Resort, featuring 62 villas and various amenities, is reported to have encroached upon 6.73 acres of forest land, with construction commencing under police protection.
The forest department has initiated eviction proceedings to reclaim the unlawfully occupied land, despite locals expressing reluctance to confront the illegal activity due to the involvement of a “powerful police officer.”
The resort is reportedly jointly owned by the son of the Partex Group founder and Benazir Ahmed, with shares purchased under the names of his family members.
Benazir Ahmed’s foreign investments, including stakes in hotels in Dubai, Singapore, Thailand, and Malaysia, were made without permission from the Bangladesh Bank, raising suspicions of money laundering.
Attempts to reach Benazir Ahmed for comment on these allegations were unsuccessful, with concerns raised by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) regarding the need for thorough investigations.
TIB emphasized the importance of uncovering the truth despite Benazir Ahmed’s influence as a high-ranking police officer, highlighting challenges faced by the ACC in fully investigating his assets and taking appropriate action.
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This Hasina is sucking the blood of the poor people.
How can a police super earn that much of money.
He is not a police. Sheik hasina and her people looting this poor country.
Benjir is the national shame for the country.
Tor ato kurkurani keno? Tui nije k ki vabish bainchod?
You are fucking disgusting come here then you will realize how awamilegue treat you?
My brother these kind of injustice happening everywhere in Bangladesh