Letter to NCB to return Benazir arrested in Dubai, 10 cases in tribunal

The International Crimes Tribunal's prosecution has said that at least 10 cases of disappearance, murder and genocide are being investigated by the International Crimes Tribunal against former IGP Benazir Ahmed, who was arrested in Dubai. The state has also started legal and diplomatic processes through the National Central Bureau of Police (NCB) and Interpol to bring her back to the country.

In a briefing at the prosecution office of the International Crimes Tribunal, the tribunal's chief prosecutor Md. Aminul Islam gave detailed information about Benazir Ahmed's arrest, the number, type and extradition process against him on Monday.

Supreme Court lawyer M Abdul Qayyum and former IGP Baharul Islam also spoke about various aspects of this legal process.

Aminul Islam said, we have about 10 cases against him (Benazir), but we are investigating and he is connected to each one. When he was the head of RAB, the cases related to disappearances that were already ongoing are being tried.

Describing Benazir as the ‘most cunning’ in the Shapla Chattar incident, Aminul said, our investigation against him is almost at its final stage. He was also directly involved in the murder of Ekram Commissioner of Chattogram, where he is also present. And at least 7 to 10 more cases are being investigated, in each of which he is directly involved.

Claiming that Benazir was involved in ‘numerous murders’, Aminul said, he was involved in numerous murders as the head of RAB, when he was the head of police, he served as the IGP, he was involved in numerous crimes.

Md. Aminul Islam said that a copy of the tribunal's warrant has already been sent to the special branch of the police, NCB, to bring back the former IGP.

He said, we have already given copies of our warrants to the government. We believe that our government has a police agency through which red notices or color code notices are sent, we have already given copies of our warrants to them. We will send the letter from our investigation agency to NCB, from there it will go to the relevant Interpol.

Benazir was the Inspector General of Bangladesh Police from April 2020 to September 2022. Before that, he was the Director General of RAB from January 2015 to April 2020. He retired on September 30, 2022.

There was already public discussion about the allegations of corruption against him. However, in March 2024, when a report about his assets was published in the newspaper, the court ordered an investigation into the matter.

After that, the Anti-Corruption Commission filed more than a dozen corruption cases against Benazir and his family. Apart from this, an investigation is also underway into allegations of his involvement in extrajudicial killings, disappearances, and murders during the previous Awami League government.

A 'red notice' was issued by Interpol on April 22, 2025, to arrest the former police chief, who had fled abroad with all these allegations in mind.

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed told the National Parliament that the United Arab Emirates police had arrested Benazir Ahmed based on that red notice on Sunday. The minister said that he would be brought back to the country 'very quickly' in coordination with the NCB in Dubai.

At the tribunal's press conference on Monday, former IGP Baharul Islam explained the working methods of the NCB and said, "Red notices are actually a function of Interpol. We have a bureau here, it is called the National Central Bureau (NCB). It is run by our police people, the Bangladesh Police people. But the communications are with all Interpols. So from here we actually send the red notice applications to the Interpol headquarters. Interpol's work is over. Then, in the wake of that, the local police of the UAE, the local police, that is, Dubai police, arrested him. Even before this, a suspect in a murder case came from the UAE. The police there arrested him, they told us. A police officer from our CID went there and brought him to Bangladesh.

Chief Prosecutor Aminul said that although there is no prisoner exchange agreement between Bangladesh and the UAE, it is possible to bring him back through diplomatic channels. The government has already applied to the UAE government through diplomatic channels with the warrants that the Bangladesh government has, to return him to Bangladesh. And there is a process there that when we make an extradition request within 30 days, it is presented to the prosecutor there, the prosecutor presents it to their court in the form of an appeal, and the prisoner is sent back subject to the court's permission.

Regarding the lack of an extradition agreement, former IGP Baharul Islam said, "We do not have an extradition agreement with the United Arab Emirates. We do have one with India and Thailand. But it is not a must-have. It would have been easier if it were. But the governments of the two countries can bring her back through mutual communication."

Stating that Benazir Ahmed is ready to appear before the tribunal and be remanded after being brought back to the country, Md. Aminul Islam said, "If he is brought to Bangladesh, he will also be brought to our tribunal. He will be presented in the courts where the trial is going on, he will be remanded in the courts where the investigation is going on and he will be interrogated." And the tribunal will complete this trial with the strictest hand.