Former inspector general of police (IGP) Benazir Ahmed left Bangladesh on May 4, 2024, less than three weeks after the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) launched an inquiry into his assets.
He departed on an international flight from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport with police assistance and allegedly bypassed several mandatory security screening procedures.
Questions surrounding his departure have resurfaced following reports of his arrest in Dubai nearly two years later.
On Friday, Bangladesh Police received official confirmation from Dubai Police regarding Benazir's arrest. Additional Inspector General Khondkar Rafiqul Islam confirmed the development, which was later disclosed in parliament by Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed. The minister said efforts were underway to bring the former police chief back to Bangladesh.
The ACC formed a committee on April 18, 2024, to investigate allegations regarding Benazir's wealth. Within weeks, he left the country. Subsequent investigations found that he flew to Dubai on a Singapore Airlines flight from Dhaka at around 11:40pm on May 4.
Analysis of airport CCTV footage showed Benazir completing airport formalities with the assistance of several police personnel. A uniformed officer and a female officer in plain clothes escorted him to the security screening area, while another officer followed behind. No family members were seen with him.
He was wearing a gold-coloured short-sleeved shirt, dark trousers and black shoes.
Footage from the final checkpoint indicated that Benazir was allowed to pass without undergoing the physical search routinely conducted by Ansar personnel for ordinary passengers, raising questions over whether standard procedures were waived in his case.
The footage also showed immigration and security officials completing the necessary formalities and returning his passport and luggage before he proceeded to board the aircraft. Moments before departure, he was seen waving goodbye to several police officers present at the airport.
One of the most influential figures in Bangladesh Police, Benazir served as inspector general of police from April 2020 to September 2022. Earlier, he was director general of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) from January 2015 to April 2020 and also served as commissioner of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP).
Known for his close ties to the Awami League government, Benazir continued to receive state-provided security benefits after retirement. Under a Home Ministry notification, he was assigned a six-member plainclothes police team and a vehicle, along with two armed bodyguards and three security personnel at his residence.