Benazir finally gives up Dhaka Boat Club presidency

Former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Benazir Ahmed, who is under media spotlight for alleged involvement in corruption, has finally handed over his position as the president of Dhaka Boat Club - a position he occupied for nine long years.

In a letter sent from abroad on June 13, Benazir requested the club's advisor and businessman Rubel Aziz to serve as the acting president, confirmed Dhaka Boat Club Executive Member Nashir U Mahmud on Saturday evening.

A number of boat club officials said the then director general of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) Benazir Ahmed became the club president in 2015, a year after the establishment of Dhaka Boat Club in 2014.

Since then, he had been abusing his power there. After serving in RAB for four and a half years, he became the IGP. After that, even after retiring from service in September 2022, he did not leave the post of club president. 

Benazir had occupied this position for nine consecutive years by abusing his influence. Regular members did not dare to speak out in fear of him, and did not even have the courage to demand for annual general meetings (AGMs) or elections in the club, insiders say.

Last May, Benazir went into hiding when the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) began an investigation against him for reportedly amassing a large amount of undisclosed wealth through bribery and corruption. He has not been seen in public since then.

Following the corruption allegations, two legal notices were sent to Benazir Ahmed, asking him to vacate the Dhaka Boat Club president position, citing that he had been occupying the post illegally by abusing his power for nine years.

He then sent a letter by email on June 13 handing over his duties as the DHaka Boat Club President. However, in the letter, he said that he is staying abroad with his family members due to an emergency. He also mentioned that his stay abroad may be prolonged to an indefinite period of time.

Meanwhile, the election and AGM of Dhaka Boat Club are scheduled to be held on September 21 this year. This club has 3,000 members, and a 11-member executive committee. 

Aside from Benazir being the club president, there is advisor Rubel Aziz, and Vice President Shahidul Islam (Shaheed). 

Bakhtiar Ahmed Khan, Aziz Al Mahmud, Nashir U Mahmud, Zaheer Ahmed, Swaib Ahmed, Ibrahim Fatemi, Prof Dr Nizamul Haque Bhuiyan and Makin ur Rashid hold other positions in the club.

Insiders say Benazir Ahmed became involved with the Dhaka Boat Club during his tenure as the director general of elite force RAB. After Benazir became the IGP, he still served as the president of the club in violation of government service rules. 

Although there was discussion and criticism in various circles on the matter, no one dared to say anything because of Benazir's influence. Questions had also been raised as to how he remained involved in this expensive club despite being a government employee.

A daily newspaper published an article against Benazir titled “Benazir er ghore Aladin er Cherag” on March 31, and “Bon er Jomi te Benazir er Resort'' on April 3. 

WHen allegations of illegal acquisition of wealth were raised against Benazir Ahmed and his family members, the ACC decided to investigate the matter on April 18 after verifying the complaints.

The ACC's investigation has already found 702 bighas of land in Benajir's family members’ names in six districts across the country. 

Apart from this, the ACC found multi-storied buildings, 12 flats, 33 bank accounts and crores of investments in 25 companies in Dhaka. The commission then seized these assets in three phases after receiving the court's directive.