United News of Bangladesh

The International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) has issued a red notice against former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Benazir Ahmed. Enamul Haque Sagar, Assistant Inspector General (AIG), Media and Public Relations of the Police Headquarters, made the disclosure on Tuesday. In response to a query, he said the notice was issued earlier this month although it has not been shown on Interpol’s website yet. A red notice is not an international arrest warrant. According to Interpol, a red notice is a request to law enforcement worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition, surrender, or similar legal action. The individuals are wanted by the requesting member country, or international tribunal. Member countries apply their own laws in deciding whether to arrest a person, it said. The majority of red notices are restricted to law enforcement use only, it added. Red notice sought from Interpol against Hasina, 11 others: Police HQ Extracts of red notices are published at the request of the member country concerned and where the public’s help may be needed to locate an individual or if the individual may pose a threat to public safety. The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed a number of cases against Benazir on various charges, including for acquiring wealth through corruption and abuse of power while serving in key positions, including as the director general of RAB and the inspector general of police and money laundering. Benazir Ahmed served as the IGP from April 15, 2020, to September 30, 2022. He had earlier held the posts of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner and Director General of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB). He left the country with his family on May 4 last year. The other accused are Benazir’s wife Jissan Mirza, eldest daughter Farheen Rishta Binte Benazir, and younger daughter Tahseen Raisa Binte Benazir. Benazir Ahmed served as the IGP from April 15, 2020, to September 30, 2022. He had earlier held the posts of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner and Director General of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB). He left the country with his family on May 4 last year. Sources at the Police Headquarters said red notice applications have recently been submitted to the Interpol for  Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader – Secretary, former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan, former liberation war affairs minister AKM Mozammel Haque, former foreign minister  Hasan Mahmud, former textile and jute minister Jahangir Kabir Nanak , former DSCC mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh , former education minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury, former power, energy and mineral resources minister Nasrul Hamid (Bipu) and former information minister Mohammad Ali Arafat and former defence and security adviser to PM  Tarique Ahmed Siddique. All of these applications are currently under consideration by Interpol, they said. Earlier red notice applications were submitted against deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina and the former IGP. Several correspondences and a virtual meeting have taken place with Interpol over Sheikh Hasina.  This is still under its legal review, they said.

Dhaka Boat Club Limited (DBCL) on Thursday expelled its former president and ex-Inspector General of Police (IGP) Benazir Ahmed, along with club secretary Tahsin Amin. The decision was made at an executive committee meeting held at the club on Thursday. Situated on the pristine and lush shores of the Turag River in Dhaka, the club previously came into the spotlight after expelling member Nasir U Mahmood from its executive committee. The real estate businessman was arrested for allegedly attempting to rape and murder popular actress Pori Moni. That expulsion had been made at an executive committee meeting presided over by then-president Benazir Ahmed, attended by eight other members and the club’s adviser Rubel Aziz. In today’s meeting, the committee announced plans to take legal action to ensure appropriate punishment for the accused. They said the expulsion followed discussions on various financial irregularities and embezzlement involving the two, which came to light after over five months of investigation at multiple levels. Model Meghna shown arrested in fraud case The findings were later confirmed through an audit conducted by a reputable firm, according to a written statement. Separately, on February 20, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed a case against Benazir Ahmed, his wife and two daughters on charges of money laundering involving Tk 11.34 crore. The other accused are Benazir’s wife Jissan Mirza, eldest daughter Farheen Rishta Binte Benazir, and younger daughter Tahseen Raisa Binte Benazir. Benazir Ahmed served as the IGP from April 15, 2020, to September 30, 2022. He had earlier held the posts of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner and Director General of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB). He left the country with his family on May 4 last year. Meanwhile, the court has issued an arrest warrant against him through Interpol.

Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on Thursday filed a case against former Inspector General of Police Benazir Ahmed, his wife and two daughters, on charges of money laundering amounting to Tk 11.34 crore. Deputy Director of ACC's Integrated District Office Dhaka-1 Md Hafizul Islam filed the case, said its Director General (Prevention) Md Akhter Hossain at a briefing held at the ACC's head office in the capital. He said that no information was found about the investment anywhere after the loan of Tk 11.34 crore. He fled abroad immediately after withdrawing the money. 22 DCs sent into forced retirement The other accused in the case are Benazir's wife Jissan Mirza, his eldest daughter Farheen Rishta Binte Benazir and second daughter Tahseen Raisa Binte Benazir. Benazir Ahmed was the IGP from April 15, 2020 to September 30, 2022. Earlier, he served as the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner and Director General of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB). SC clears appointment of 1,137 BCS candidates Benazir left the country with her family on May 4 last year. Meanwhile, the court ordered the issuance of an arrest warrant against Benazir Ahmed through Interpol.

A Joypurhat court has ordered legal action against nine individuals, in connection with the killing of Shafinur Islam Shafin in a "crossfire" incident while in Rab custody in 2016, that the family is now claiming was a fake encounter resulting in Shafin's extrajudicial killing. The accused include the then-director general of the Rapid Action Battalion (Rab), Benazir Ahmed, who retired as IGP, and then-Police Superintendent Molla Nazrul Islam. The directive comes as part of a case filed eight years after the incident, seeking justice for the death. The case was filed on Sunday by Nazrul Islam, father of the deceased, from Chokmohan village in Joypurhat's Sadar upazila. In total, the case involves 25 accused individuals, with the court initially focusing on the first nine named in the complaint. Senior District and Sessions Judge Md. Mojibur Rahman instructed that legal measures be taken against the nine, ordering the Police Superintendent to report back within 24 hours. Former IGP Benazir faces case over second passport through forgery In addition to Benazir and Nazrul, the others against whom the court ordered action include Major Hasan Arafat of the Joypurhat Rab camp, deputy assistant director (DAD) Md Firoz Ali Khan, sub-inspector (SI) Enamul Haque, DAD Mahfuzar Rahman, SI Debashish Nandi of Sadar Police Station, Rab Naik Habibur Rahman, and Constable Mehedi Hasan. All the posts mentioned date from the time of the incident. According to the case details, the incident began on September 26, 2016, when members of the Joypurhat Rap camp arrested Shafinur Islam Shafin around 9pm from Dhaka's Uttara area. Approximately one month later, on the night of October 25, at around 9:30 pm, Shafin was reportedly shot and killed at an abandoned paddy field owned by Helal in Dadaura Nandigram, Joypurhat Sadar upazila. Plaintiff's lawyer, Adv Mahfuzur Rahman Helal, informed the press that the court had acknowledged the allegations against the first nine accused and had ordered the Joypurhat SP to take legal action accordingly. The court mandated that the SP update it on the steps taken within a 24-hour period. Speaking over the phone, SP Muhammad Abdul Wahab confirmed that "legal action is being taken as per the court's directive."