The International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) has issued a red notice against former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Benazir Ahmed, confirmed Assistant Inspector General (Media) Enamul Haque Sagar on Tuesday.

The notice, issued earlier this month, has not yet appeared on Interpol’s public website. A red notice serves as a request to law enforcement agencies worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition or similar legal action. However, it is not an international arrest warrant, and each member country decides whether to act on the notice according to its own laws.

Benazir, who served as IGP from April 15, 2020, to September 30, 2022, is facing multiple cases filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). Charges include amassing illegal wealth, abuse of power, and money laundering during his tenure in high-ranking positions, including as Dhaka Metropolitan Police commissioner and director general of RAB.

He reportedly left Bangladesh with his family on May 4, 2023. His wife Jissan Mirza, and daughters Farheen Rishta Binte Benazir and Tahseen Raisa Binte Benazir, are also accused in related cases.

In a broader development, sources from the Police Headquarters revealed that Interpol red notice requests have also been submitted against several prominent political figures, including Obaidul Quader, Asaduzzaman Khan, AKM Mozammel Haque, Jahangir Kabir Nanak, Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh, Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury, Nasrul Hamid (Bipu), Mohammad Ali Arafat, and Tarique Ahmed Siddique. These requests are reportedly under review by Interpol.

Additionally, sources confirmed that multiple correspondences and even a virtual meeting have taken place with Interpol regarding Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, though that matter remains under legal examination.