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.

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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.