Staff Reporter :
The International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) has issued a Red Notice against former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Benazir Ahmed, the Bangladesh Police Headquarters has confirmed.
Enamul Haque Sagor, spokesperson for the Police Headquarters, confirmed to The New Nation that the notice was officially issued recently. According to sources, this marks the first time a Red Notice has been issued against a former IGP of such stature, who was previously regarded as a powerful figure in the fascist Hasina regime that stepped down on 5 August last year.
Sources within the Police Headquarters stated that the National Central Bureau (NCB), the liaison unit for Interpol in Bangladesh, submitted the application for the Red Notice following a court directive and at the request of the prosecution or the investigating agency. The application includes Benazir Ahmed and 11 other individuals.
The development is part of ongoing anti-corruption proceedings against the former police chief and his family. On 15 December last year, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed four separate cases against Benazir Ahmed, his wife Zeeshan Mirza, and their children.
In support of the investigation, the court has issued several orders. On 8 January this year, it directed the seizure of income tax records belonging to Zeeshan Mirza and the couple’s younger daughter, Tahsin Raisa Binte Benazir. A subsequent order on 13 January mandated the seizure of similar records for Benazir Ahmed and their elder daughter, Farhin Rishta Binte Benazir.
Authorities continue to investigate allegations of illicit wealth accumulation and corruption involving the former IGP and members of his family.
