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The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has rejected allegations of negligence in its efforts to repatriate former inspector general of police Benazir Ahmed, saying it has completed all required legal procedures.
ACC Director General (Special Investigation) Mir Mohammad Zainul Abedin Shibli made the remarks on Saturday while speaking to reporters at the comission’s headquarters in Segunbagicha, Dhaka, following reports that Benazir had been granted bail in Dubai.
“We, like you, learned about the bail through media reports. Necessary steps will be taken by the relevant authorities in response to this development,” Shibli said.
Dismissing claims of inaction, he stressed that the ACC has fulfilled all responsibilities within its jurisdiction. “In cases involving cross-border legal processes, the central authority is the Ministry of Home Affairs. We have already sent a Mutual Legal Assistance Request (MLAR) through the home ministry, in coordination with both the home and foreign ministries,” he explained.
According to Shibli, the home ministry processes such requests and forwards them to the concerned country via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. “We have done everything required from our end. The next course of action will be determined jointly after reviewing the legal aspects,” he added.
Earlier, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed said the government has taken steps to challenge Benazir’s bail in Dubai. He confirmed that a law firm in the UAE has been appointed to seek cancellation of the bail order.
Benazir Ahmed, who served as IGP from 2020 to 2022, is facing multiple corruption allegations, including amassing wealth beyond known sources of income and laundering money abroad. He left the country before the ACC initiated its তদন্ত and has remained overseas since.