Staff Correspondent

The High Court has directed the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to submit a report regarding the progress in investigation within the next two months into the allegations of irregularities and corruption, accumulation of wealth illegally and abuse of power by former inspector general of police (IGP) Benazir Ahmed.

The ACC has been directed to submit its report into the progress of investigation in the form of an affidavit within the next two months.

The HC bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Kazi Ebadat Hossain passed the order on Tuesday voluntarily without holding a hearing on a writ petition.

At one stage of the hearing, the bench said, "We want the country to be free from corruption; we want no money is laundered from the country; we want no one getting away with committing crimes. At the same time, we want no one is forcefully taken to court illegally."

Lawyer M Sarwar Hossain represented the writ petitioner. He was assisted by Barrister Manoj Kumar Bhowmik. Senior lawyer Shah Manzurul Huque and Mohammad Sayeed Ahmed Raja moved for Benazir Ahmed in the court, while senior lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan represented the ACC while deputy attorney general AKM Amin Uddin represented the state.

Vernacular daily Kaler Kantho ran two news reports under the headlines "Benazirer Ghore Aladiner Cherag (Aladin’s lamp at Benazir's house)" and "Boner Jomite Benazirer Resort (Benazir’s resort on forest land)" published on March 31 and 3 April 3 last respectively.

Supreme Court lawyer Md Salah Uddin Reagan made an appeal to the ACC on April 4 seeking investigation into those published reports. He sent a legal notice to the ACC due to the inaction of the agency on April 18. As no response was received from the ACC, the lawyer filed a writ petition with the High Court seeking its directives on conducting an investigation into the allegations.

Citing the two news reports before the bench during the hearing, the petitioner's lawyer M Sarwar Hossain said, "Upon filing the writ, we came to know through news reports that the ACC has already formed an investigation committee. The court's directive is required in this regard for a proper investigation."

Benazir's lawyers told the bench that whereas the ACC formed a probe body, the writ mentioned about the ACC’s inaction. That is why it could be rejected.

Taking part in the hearing, ACC lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan told the court a three-member committee was formed following the decision from a meeting of the ACC on April 18.