‘Benazir may hold multiple passports’

Former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Benazir Ahmed, who was recently granted conditional bail in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), may hold passports from multiple countries, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed said on Monday.

“We have instructed our law firm to file a petition seeking cancellation of his bail because we suspect he may have passports from other countries as well,” he told reporters at the Secretariat.

Salahuddin said the government has already contacted the law firm representing Bangladesh in the UAE, while the Home Secretary has also discussed the matter with the UAE Ambassador.

“We are yet to know the details of the bail conditions. We are trying to obtain a certified copy of the bail order,” he said.

The minister said the government has also requested its legal representatives to submit Bangladesh’s extradition-related documents to the UAE court and seek cancellation of Benazir’s bail.

Asked why Benazir was granted bail despite Bangladesh’s efforts to bring him back, Salahuddin said he would not comment on the court’s decision without knowing the details of the order.

On the recovery of bomb-like objects at Kamalapur and Ashulia, the home minister said people have no reason to be overly concerned.

“A vested quarter attempted to disrupt communal harmony. However, our law enforcement agencies with the support of the Bomb Disposal Unit handled the situation successfully,” he said.

He added that authorities are closely monitoring the situation and investigating to identify those responsible.