The Bangladesh police in the past one year requested Interpol to issue red notices against 25 people, ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina among them, in connection with crimes against humanity and corruption cases.
Interpol, the International Criminal Police Organisation, however, has so far issued red notices for only four people, including former police chief Benajir Ahmed.
鈥榃e sent letters seeking red notices against 25 Bangladesh nationals but Interpol issued red notices against four,鈥� said AHM Shahadat Hossain, assistant inspector general for media and public relations, at the Police Headquarters in Dhaka city on September 30.
The police headquarters data also confirmed that the National Central Bureau of Bangladesh Police requested Interpol to issue red notices against 25 people in the past one year.
The people include the deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina, her daughter Saima Wazed, her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy, former bridges minister Obaidul Quader, former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan, former liberation war affairs minister AKM Mozammel Haque, former information minister Hasan Mahmud, former textiles and jute minister Jahangir Kabir Nanak, former education minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury, former Dhaka South City mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh, Hasina鈥檚 security adviser retired Major General Tariq Ahmed Siddiq, former state minister for power and energy Nasrul Hamid and former state minister for information and broadcasting Mohammad Ali Arafat.
Red notices were also sought against five businesspeople 鈥� TNZ Group managing director Shahadat Hossain Shamim, Dard Group chairman Ittemad Uddoulah and managing director Nabil Uddoulah, Roar Fashion Ltd managing directors Mamunul Islam and Uzzwal Hayder.
The five are wanted in connection with cases filed with the Labour Court in Gazipur and the two Labour Courts in Dhaka for neglecting workers鈥� rightful dues and remaining abroad for long periods.
The police also sought Interpol red notices against Mohammad Ali, Zebunnesa Akhter and Habib Khan in connection with criminal cases.
Interpol has yet not issued red notices any of these 21 people.
According to the Bangladesh police headquarters, Interpol issued four red notices, including one against former inspector general of police Benazir Ahmed.
The red notice for Benazir came following a request made in February.
The Bangladesh police wrote to Interpol after a Dhaka court had ordered them to do so.
The court order came following a petition of the Anti-Corruption Commission.
The three other red notices were issued in connection with murder cases 鈥� two against fugitives Arif Sarkar and Mohsin Mia, and the other against Aowlad Hossain, who is allegedly hiding in Australia facing charges of murder of his wife.
Among the four, recently, Mohsin Mia was brought back to the country from Dubai, said police officials.
Officials at the police national central bureau also said that they sent the letters to Interpol for red notices as asked by courts, prosecutors or investigation agencies.聽
In November 2024, the Office of the Chief Prosecutor of the International Crimes Tribunal asked the police headquarters to write to Interpol for a red notice against Sheikh Hasina in connection with cases filed with the ICT on charges of crimes against humanity for mass killings during the July uprising.
Apart from the 25 people, two Bangladesh courts also ordered authorities concerned to seek Interpol red notice against five more people in connection with graft cases.
On September 25, a Dhaka special judge鈥檚 court ordered the Anti-Corruption Commission to take initiative for seeking Interpol red notices against S Alam Group chairman Mohammad Saiful Alam and his two brothers in a case filed on charges of embezzling Tk 104.20 crore.
The court responded after the ACC had sought its order to seek Interpol assistance through the home ministry to execute arrest warrants against Saiful Alam and his two brothers: S Alam Group vice-chairman Abdus Samad and director Mohammad Abdullah Hasan.
Earlier on September 21, a Chattogram court ordered the police headquarters to seek an Interpol red notice against former minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury and his wife Rukmila Zaman in a case filed against 31 people on charges of embezzling and laundering Tk聽25 crore from United Commercial Bank.
Saifuzzaman served as state minister for land for the period of 2014鈥�2018 and as full minister for the period of 2019鈥�2023.
Media reports claim that he fled to London with his family in August 2024, just before the fall of the Awami League regime amid a student-led mass uprising.
