Former inspector general of police (IGP) and former director general (DG) of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) Benazir Ahmed left no place untouched in expanding his empire through buying land to ensure future benefits.

He owns 418 decimals of land at the ecologically critical area (ECA) in Saint Martin’s Island. There is an allegation that he possesses 250 decimals of land and coconut plantation of a person named Mohammad Waziullah.

According to an investigation conducted by our team, former IGP Benazir Ahmed has bought more land than the land all the people of Dakshinpara village of St Martin have. He also built a boundary wall after buying land in the northern part of the island.

A man named Maulvi Abdur Rahman is currently looking after the land. While visiting the area, it was found that the locals know the property as “Benazir Sir’s land”. Coral stones have been picked up and piled up to protect the boundary of the land. Besides, concrete pillars have been used to surround the plot.

A big gate has also been constructed there, which is a complete violation of the Ecologically Critical Area—ECA Act 1995, Bangladesh Nature Conservation Act and Environment Act, said experts.

Apart from this, Benazir Ahmed is being accused of occupying 250 decimal of land that reportedly belongs to Mohammad Waziullah of Uttarpara village in ward-1 of St Martin. Waziullah bought the land from Muktar Ahmad and Mahe Alam, former UP members of St Martin’s Ward-1. Local UP member Akhter Kamal confirmed the entire matter.

According to the records of the local land registry office, Benazir owns 8.25 decimal of land in 1786 plot, 14.14 decimal, 45 decimal, 35 decimal and 40 decimal of the same daag (plot) in the 1030 khatian of Jinjira Island mauza. Apart from this, he has 22 decimal of land at 1725 daag.

Benazir Ahmed, son of Harunur Rashid, is named as the owner in the land registry document. The address used is holding number 166 of Sadar upazila of Gopalganj. It is mentioned that the Khatian was created as per the order dated 12/2/2015 in the case number 355 (I)/2014-15 of the khatian of his land.

The seller of the land was local Maulvi Abdur Rahman and his family members. Teknaf Upazila Assistant Land Commissioner Zahid Iqbal and Kanungo Moshammed Musa of Upazila Land Office verified the certificate. It can be seen in the certificate that the total land owned by Benazir Ahmed is 1 acre 68.25 decimal.

Abdul Jabbar, former assistant tehsildar of Teknaf Land Office, confirmed the matter to this reporter and said, “Benazir Ahmed has land in the Dakshinpara area of St Martin. He bought these lands in 2016 and 2017. Even after this, he also bought some more lands in the name of himself and his family members.”

Maulvi Abdur Rahman, who was elected as UP chairman in 2011 with BNP’s “dhaner shish (sheaf of paddy)” symbol, is known as a loyal and close associate of Benazir in the area. He is responsible for the maintenance of Benazir’s land there.

As per our investigation, Maulvi Abdur Rahman himself sold three acres of land to Benazir Ahmed in 2011. Benazir bought the lands for only Tk20 lakh to Tk25 lakh per acre. The current market value of the lands is around Tk2 crore. When Benazir bought the land, a signboard was hung in his name. Later, on 11 December 2021, after the United States imposed sanctions against Benazir, he ordered the removal of the signboard with his name.

St Martin Union Council Chairman and Union Awami League President Md Mujibur Rahman confirmed about Benazir’s purchase of land. He said, “There is land owned by former IGP Benazir Ahmed in Dakshinpara village of St Martin. Earlier the whole land was fenced and there were signboards in his name. However, I do not know the amount of land.”

Akhter Kamal, a UP member of ward-1 of St Martin Union Council, said that Benazir Ahmed has 120 decimal of land in a daag with a coconut plantation in the northern part of the island. A person named Maulvi Abdur Rahman is in charge of it. Apart from this, Benazir Ahmed has one and a half acres of land at 1786 dag in Dakshinpara of ward-9 of the union.

87 decimal land in the name of wife, daughters in Inani

Benazir bought 86.94 decimal of land in Inani mauza of Ukhia upazila in Cox’s Bazar while he was the director general of the Rapid Action Battalion. But this clever former government official did not register the land in his own name. The registry was done in the name of his brother-in-law Mirza Manowar Reza, wife Zeeshan Mirza and three daughters – Farheen Rishta Binte Benazir, Tahsin Raisa Binte Benazir and Zahra Zerin Binte Benazir, said sources.

Among them, the youngest daughter Zahra Zerin Binte Benazir was a minor at the time of the land registry. BS Khatian and BS daag No of the land are 4762, 3739, 5282, 7182, 5691, 5281 and 7766.

A perusal of the information shows that the name of Mirza Mansoor Ul Haque, father of Mirza Manowar Reza and Zeeshan Mirza, who is Benazir Ahmed’s father-in-law, is mentioned in the land deed. Their address is given as Sheikhpara, South Jatrabari, Faridabad, Dhaka South City Corporation.

Apart from this, Farheen Rishta Binte Benazir, Tahsin Raisa Binte Benazir and Zahra Zerin Binte Benazir’s father’s name is mentioned as Benazir Ahmed. Benazir Ahmed’s father Harunur Rashid’s information is also mentioned in that document. It shows the address of Benazir Ahmed and her three daughters as Baishakhi Road, Sabujbag, Gopalganj Sadar, Gopalganj Municipality, Gopalganj.

By verifying the tax payment receipt information of Sonarpara Union Land Office, it can be seen that Zeeshan Mirza’s holding number is 5691, land class is nal (residential), daag number is 10391 and the amount of land is 7.33 decimal. This tax is paid on 28 May 2023. Another 18 decimal of land development tax was paid on the same day in the name of Zeeshan Mirza. According to Register No 2, the holding number of the land is 5271 and daag no 10389.

Investigation shows that on 28 May 2023, the land tax of Farheen Rishta Binte Benazir was also deposited at Sonarpara Union Land Office. According to Register No 2, the holding number of the land is 7766, daag numbers 10391, 10389. Here the amount of land is 3.5, 6.5 and 5 decimal i.e. 15 decimal. Land development tax was also paid on behalf of Mirza Manowar Reza and others the same day. However, on 29 May 2023, this land of Inani-2 mauza of Ukhia Upazila was sold to Mohammad Nur Alam Siddiqui, a resident of Naljani, Chandna, Gazipur Sadar.

70 decimal land in Teknaf Marine Drive in the name of wife

Benazir’s wife Zeeshan Mirza owns 70 decimal of land in Inani mauza, adjacent to LGED Bhaban, next to Marine Drive, Ukhia police station, Cox’s Bazar. The land is looked after by Nazim Uddin Member, UP member of Ward No 6 of Jaliapalong union. The land was purchased in 2006.

Shamsul Alam, a UP member of Ward No 6 of Jaliapalong Union of Ukhia police station, Cox’s Bazar, said, “Benazir Ahmed has 70 decimal of land in Inani mauza near LGED Bhaban next to Marine Drive. This land was bought by former member of my ward Nazim Uddin and Maulvi Abul Bashak of Sonarpara of the same area. At present, they are the two responsible for looking after this land.”

Source: Kaler Kantho & Daily Sun

BDST: 1032 HRS, APR 03, 2024