The International Criminal Police Organisation, commonly known as Interpol, has issued a red notice against Bangladesh鈥檚 former inspector general of police Benazir Ahmed.
Police headquarters assistant inspector general of police for media and public聽 relations Enamul Haque Sagar told 抖阴精品 on Tuesday that they came to know about the issuance of red notice by the Interpol.
鈥榃e have been informed about the notice by the Interpol recently. The Interpol has not shared it on its website,鈥� said Enamul.
Enamul, however, could not confirm the date when the Interpol has issued the red notice against Benazir.聽
A red notice is a request to the law enforcement agencies worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition, surrender, or similar legal action, according to the Interpol website.
The Interpol said that a red notice is not an international arrest warrant.
Individuals are wanted by the requesting member country, or the international tribunal. Member countries apply their own laws in deciding whether to arrest a person, said the Interpol, adding that the majority of red notices are restricted to law enforcement use only.
Extracts of red notices are published at the request of the member countries concerned and where public help may be needed to locate an individual or if the individual may pose a threat to public safety.
On February 10, the Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Court ordered the authorities concerned to request an Interpol red notice for the arrest of former IGP Benazir Ahmed in connection with graft cases.
Judge Md Zakir Hossain of the court passed the order accepting a petition submitted by Anti-Corruption Commission deputy director Md Hafijul Islam.
On December 15, 2024, three cases were filed against Benazir, his wife, and two daughters on charges of amassing illegal wealth worth Tk 74 crore and concealing information about their wealth.
The cases alleged that Benazir acquired Tk 9.44 crore in assets beyond his known sources of income and concealed information about assets worth Tk 2.62 crore.
His wife, Jissan Mirza, was accused of acquiring Tk 31.69 crore in illegal assets and concealing information about assets worth Tk 16.01 crore.
Their elder daughter, Farheen Rishita Binte Benazir, was accused of amassing illegal wealth worth Tk 8.75 crore, and their second daughter, Tahseen Raisa Binte Benazir, of amassing illegal wealth worth Tk 5.59 crore.
On June 12, 2024, the court ordered the confiscation of eight apartments and 27.5 acres of land, including properties in Dhaka鈥檚 Badda and Adabar, as well as land in Narayanganj, Bandarban, and at Uttara in the capital, owned by Benazir and his family members.
The court also froze other properties and assets owned by Benazir and his family members, including 621 bighas of land in Gopalganj and Madaripur, shares in 19 companies, four flats at Gulshan in the capital Dhaka, and several other financial assets.
Besides, the court blocked Benazir鈥檚 savings certificates worth Tk 30 lakh, 33 bank accounts, and three beneficial owner accounts for share trading.
Benazir and his family members left the country on May 4, 2024 after the ACC started a probe into them on April 18 over graft charges.
Meanwhile, the National Central Bureau of Bangladesh Police has submitted a request to the Interpol seeking a 鈥榬ed notice鈥� against 12 people, including deposed prime minister and Awami League president Sheikh Hasina.
The other persons in the list include AL general secretary Obaidul Quader, former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan, former liberation war affairs minister AKM Mozammel Haque, former foreign minister Hasan Mahmud, former jute and textile minister Jahangir Kabir Nanak, former education minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury, former Dhaka South City mayor Sheikh Falze Noor Taposh, deposed PM Hasina鈥檚 military secretary retired Major General Tarique Ahmed Siddique, former state minister for power, energy and mineral resources Nasrul Hamid Bipu, former state minister for information Mohammad A Arafat and former IGP Benazir.聽聽
Besides, the Chief Prosecutor鈥檚 Office of the International Crimes Tribunal in November in the past year formally requested the police headquarters to seek Interpol assistance in arresting Sheikh Hasina and others deemed fugitives.