Court-appointed committee prepares to auction off high-end possessions from Benazir’s lavish Gulshan duplex amid corruption and money laundering charges.

A special court in Dhaka has approved the auction of luxury items used by former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Benazir Ahmed and his family, seized from their opulent duplex apartment in Gulshan. The court has also formed a dedicated auction committee to oversee the process. The items, which include a massive inventory of clothing, electronics, and high-end furnishings, will be auctioned soon following public notices in national newspapers.

The duplex apartment, located in Rankon Tower, was created by combining four luxury flats—units 12/A, 12/B, 13/A, and 13/B—into a single, ultra-modern living space. The unit features amenities such as a private swimming pool, a mini theater, entertainment lounges, and other premium facilities. The flat also contained 19 refrigerators and air conditioning systems totaling 100 tons, along with numerous electronic gadgets and home furnishings.

According to sources within the inventory team, 246 items have been listed from the Gulshan property, offering a glimpse into the lavish lifestyle of the former police chief. The list includes 122 shirts, 266 pairs of pants, 30 blazers, 8 suits, 722 T-shirts, 224 panjabis, 47 pajamas, 88 pairs of sandals, 35 pairs of sneakers, 38 pairs of formal shoes, 494 sarees, 250 sets of three-piece dresses, 496 salwar kameezes, 65 blouses, 212 women’s dresses, 56 jackets, 109 bedsheets, 75 vanity bags, 622 ladies' tops, 11 men’s sweaters, 34 women’s sweaters, 355 pairs of women's pants, 28 ladies' T-shirts, 58 nightdresses, 347 scarves, 89 shawls and wraps, 132 winter coats, 16 lehengas, 34 pairs of sunglasses, and 67 trousers.

In addition to clothing, items from the drawing room, guest lounge, theater room, bedrooms, kitchen, and corridor have also been inventoried. However, valuable furniture such as beds, dressing tables, dining tables, sofas, chairs, and wardrobes are currently excluded from the auction and will be handled according to future court directives.

Members of the auction committee were reportedly shocked by the scale and extravagance of the possessions found. One committee member compared the situation to the infamous luxury lifestyle of former Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos and his wife Imelda Marcos, whose wealth and vast collections drew international attention during the 1980s.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has filed a case against Benazir Ahmed over the illegal acquisition of assets worth more than Tk 100 crore. The investigation also revealed that Benazir, his wife, and two daughters secretly fled the country on May 4, 2024, allegedly using false documents to obtain new passports. Reports suggest they carried bags filled with gold jewelry, local and foreign currency during their escape.

Following this, on December 15, 2024, the ACC filed four separate cases against Benazir Ahmed, his wife Zishan Mirza, and daughters Farhin Rishta Bintee Benazir and Tahseen Raisa Bintee Benazir. The cases accuse them of amassing Tk 74 crore in illegal wealth and concealing key information regarding their assets. According to the complaints, Benazir alone acquired Tk 9.44 crore in illicit wealth and failed to disclose an additional Tk 2.62 crore. His wife allegedly obtained Tk 31.69 crore in illegal assets and concealed Tk 16.01 crore. The elder daughter reportedly accumulated Tk 8.75 crore, while the younger daughter is accused of holding Tk 5.59 crore in unaccounted wealth.

The auction committee is led by the director of the ACC’s Asset Management Unit, with representatives from the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s office, the Directorate of Textiles, and the Department of Steel Engineering. The deputy director of the ACC’s asset unit serves as the member secretary of the committee. After its formation, the committee began formal inventory procedures and finalized criteria for the upcoming public auction.

Authorities believe this unprecedented display of wealth and corruption by a high-ranking public official underscores the need for stringent accountability and transparency in public service. The case has attracted widespread public attention and renewed calls for institutional reform.