New Age | All allegations against former police chief must be investigated

ALLEGATIONS against former Inspector General of Police Benazir Ahmed, who is currently under investigation by the Anti-Corruption Commission for accumulating illegal wealth, intimidating poor farmers and forcing them to sell their land , violating the rules of conduct of civil servants by purchasing assets and using them. law enforcement to intimidate people is of great concern. The allegations, if true, constitute a serious criminal offense and an abuse of power. On June 7, the Hindu, Buddhist and Christian Unity Council of Bangladesh claimed that the former police chief, also former director general of the Rapid Action Battalion, had grabbed land from Hindu and Christian families poor. A team from the organization had earlier visited the Savanna Eco Resort and nature park that Benazir and her family owned in Gopalganj and spoke to the victims. In most cases, Benazir allegedly used law enforcement to intimidate poor members of Gopalganj's minority groups and force them to sell land at a lower price. In Madaripur too, Benazir resorted to the same type of intimidation and purchased land. The Anti-Corruption Commission has so far found that the family purchased over 200 acres of land only in Gopalganj and Madaripur.

Similar allegations of land buying through intimidation of the poor have been reported in other areas. Benazir and her family purchased around 60 acres of land in Kaliganj, Gazipur, mainly from Hindu and Christian communities. He also allegedly seized and purchased more than 100 acres of land in Bandarban from ethnic minorities. The use of force, threats and intimidation have also been reported in these locations. In some areas, Awami League leaders and activists, in addition to law enforcement, are said to have helped him. Its assets in Bandarban are, for example, managed by a leader of the Bandarban Swechchhasebak League. He also allegedly abused his power by purchasing land and apartments in Dhaka and acquiring shares in various companies. When such wealth does not match the known source of income of the former police chief, who is well-connected to the ruling Awami League and has often made headlines for his pro-party statements, it is obvious that he violated the government. Servant (Conduct) Rules, which prohibit government employees or their families from starting a business without government permission. It also clarifies that permission is required if any property worth more than Taka 250,000 is bought or sold by a government employee.

The government and the Anti-Corruption Commission must therefore look into the allegations of intimidation and threats of land purchase and seizure by the former police chief and, if these allegations are true, must bring him to justice and compensate the victims.