Court appoints more receivers for Benazir assets, DU may revoke degree

A Dhaka court on Thursday appointed more receivers [administrators] to look after the seized immovable properties of former inspector general of police Benazir Ahmed, and the members of Dhaka University Senate proposed revoking his PhD degree on allegation of amassing illegal wealth.

Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Mohammed Ash-Shams Joglul Hossain passed the order after the Anti-Corruption Commission submitted a petition in this regard, said ACC lawyer Mahmud Hossain Jahangir.

The immovable properties are 24 kathas of land  at Rupganj of Narayanganj, three kathas of land at Dhaka’s Gulshan, two flats measuring 3075 square feet at Badda, 25 acres of land at Bandarban, and six flats at Adabor of Dhaka.

Earlier, the court also appointed receivers for Benazir and his family’s immovable wealth located in Savar, Madaripur, Gopalganj, and Cox’s Bazar following the ACC petition.

Local upazila nirbahi officer was appointed to look after the properties of Benazir and his family in Savar while respective deputy commissioners were appointed to look after their wealth in Cox’s Bazar and Madaripur.

Besides, the DC of Gopalganj and the officials of the fisheries department respectively were appointed receivers of the lands and water bodies owned by Benazir and his family in the district.

However, the court did not pass any order regarding the four flats located in Gulshan.

The ACC, based on a media report, decided on April 18 to investigate allegations of amassing illegal wealth by Benazir and his family.

ACC officials said on Thursday that the inquiry against Benazir and his family is now at the final stage, and they will submit an inquiry report to the commission soon with a recommendation to file a case against them.

Meanwhile, the members of Dhaka University Senate have proposed revoking the PhD degree of former inspector general of police Benazir Ahmed who is facing inquiry by the Anti-Corruption commission over allegation of amassing illegal wealth.

Senate members ABM Obaidul Islam, Ranjit Kumar Saha, and M Whiduzzaman criticised the relaxation of rules to allow Benazir Ahmed to enroll in and obtain a degree from the Doctor of Bachelor Administration (DBA) program at Dhaka University.

Ranjit Kumar Saha requested the vice-chancellor to cancel Benazir’s DBA degree, saying, ‘How was Benazir admitted even though he did not meet the requirements? He was allowed to enroll with special consideration by relaxing the rules.’

Obaidul Islam, former chairman of the Department of Physics and former convener of the BNP-backed teachers’ panel, Sada Dal, said that he believed that there was no malpractice, nepotism, or injustice in the admission process of Dhaka University, but the rules have been relaxed for the admission of an influential person like Benazir Ahmed.

‘Teachers have lost their jobs and faced disciplinary action for similar allegations. I am demanding the cancellation of his degree.’ He said

Despite multiple attempts to reach the vice-chancellor and the dean of the Faculty of Business Studies about the proposal to revoke Benazir’s degree, neither of them could be reached.

Earlier a media report published recently says that Benazir obtained his doctorate degree from Dhaka University in 2019.  But he was not eligible for admission to the PhD programme, but the admission requirements were relaxed for the former IGP.

He grabbed a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) degree from the Faculty of Business Studies. A bachelor’s degree is required for admission to this programme with at least 50 per cent marks in each public examination, which Benazir did not have, said the report.

 

News Courtesy:

https://www.newagebd.net/post/Country/238646/court-appoints-more-receivers-for-benazir-assets-du-may-revoke-degree