July fugitives: Police focus on trial after little Interpol progress

Highlights:

• Interpol issued only four of Bangladesh's 28 red notice requests
• Requests included Sheikh Hasina and ex-ministers fleeing after July Uprising
• Most applications failed Interpol's political and human-rights review guidelines
• Officials say delays reflect Interpol's caution in politically sensitive cases
• Police claim red notices issued, but names absent from Interpol's website
• Authorities now focus on extradition deals and domestic trials instead

Bangladesh authorities have yet to receive a favourable response from Interpol on most of the red notice requests submitted after the July Uprising as the international police agency has issued only four such notices over the past year, police officials here say.

The requests sought red notices against 28 individuals – including ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina, several ministers of her government, and senior police officers – who fled the country in the face of the uprising.

According to sources at Interpol and the Police Headquarters, at least 24 of individuals remain off the "most-wanted" list because the requests failed to meet red-notice guidelines. 

While the Police Headquarters sources said notice applications against the 24 individuals, including Sheikh Hasina, are still pending, confusion surrounds the remaining four. 

"It's also highly unlikely that Interpol issued red notices for four individuals, since the requests were sent together and the grounds were identical. If true, those four cases were likely from pre-August 2024,"  said an Interpol officer based in Singapore. 

"Also, Interpol always discloses the names of individuals on red notice to the country concerned, even when they are not made public."

When approached by TBS, Interpol did not issue an official response. 

But the Interpol officer said Bangladesh Police typically receives an answer within three weeks of application; the lack of response after a year effectively means the possibility of Interpol issuing red notices for the individuals is also very small.

"Upon requests from Bangladesh Police, Interpol identified the locations of the individuals in question and shared the information with the police," he said.

"So," he further explained, "it could be either because Interpol considers the cases politically-motivated or because there are concerns about potential human-rights violations if the accused are arrested. One year has passed, meaning Interpol has de facto declined the request, and the likelihood of reversing that decision is almost nil."

The official also said Interpol seldom declines officially. They just sit on it and do nothing. But the ones they take actions on, they do it very quickly – within 16-17 days. "It's sent for an urgent review (24 hours); if they think it's not urgent, the committee in France takes 2-3 weeks to decide."

Source: TBS

What officials in Dhaka say 

According to police sources, the red-notice applications submitted include names such as Sheikh Hasina, her daughter Saima Wazed, her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy, former transport minister Obaidul Quader, home minister Asaduzzaman Khan, minister AKM Mozammel Haque, information minister Hasan Mahmud, textiles minister Jahangir Kabir Nanok, former mayor of Dhaka South City Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh, security adviser Major General (retd) Tarique Ahmed Siddique, former energy state minister Nasrul Hamid, former information state minister Mohammad Ali Arafat, Saiful Alam of S Alam Group, and four other siblings.

Of the individuals for whom applications were lodged, one – former IGP Benazir Ahmed – was sought on financial-crime charges; the others were implicated in crimes against humanity cases. The International Crimes Tribunal's chief prosecutor requested police to file the application last November.

Talking to TBS two weeks back, Assistant Inspector General (Media and PR) Shahadat Hossain said Interpol informed them that red notices had been issued against four individuals over the last one year.      

When asked why red alerts have not been issued even after more than a year, Assistant Inspector General (Media and PR) Shahadat Hossain said, "Bangladesh Police has already submitted all necessary documents to Interpol through the National Central Bureau Dhaka following due legal procedures.

"The delay is due to Interpol's internal policy and review process, which is beyond our control. The requests have not been declined; the cases remain under active consideration by Interpol. Bangladesh Police is in regular contact with Interpol and expects a positive response."

The Police Headquarters sources said it has followed legal processes in applying for the red notices; now the next step involves government-to-government communication.

"In political cases, Interpol rarely issues red notices. That's why government-to-government channels are needed," said AIG Shahadat. "For other crimes, it's possible to issue red notices and repatriate fugitives – for example, we recently brought one suspect from Dubai."

In April this year, the police claimed Interpol had issued a red notice for former IGP Benazir Ahmed. On 22 April, AIG Enamul Haque Sagar said the red notice had been issued. Yet, five months on, Benazir's name does not appear on Interpol's "most-wanted" list.

AIG Shahadat told TBS two weeks back, "Interpol has some internal mechanisms. They have unofficially told us a red notice has been issued."

The Interpol web site's red notice list does not include Benazir.  

When asked who were the other three on the list, Shahadat skipped the answer.

Factors Interpol considers when issuing notices

Police officers say Interpol exercises caution in political cases. They evaluate whether the request is politically driven or motivated by revenge. In many cases involving political figures, red notices are rarely issued.

They are far more common for officials (police, civil servants) and terrorists. Bangladesh has submitted many applications; while red notices have been issued for former police chiefs, none have yet been issued for political leaders.

What does a red notice mean?

A red notice is not a guarantee of arrest or extradition. It depends on the suspect's location, local laws of the country, and bilateral agreements with Bangladesh.

"If a Bangladeshi fugitive is in Europe, a red notice by Interpol doesn't guarantee return. It depends on local law and Bangladesh's bilateral relations," officials explained.

What will the police do next

IGP Baharul Alam told TBS, "Our role is to apply under legal procedures. Now we're approaching the foreign ministry to work through extradition-agreement countries like India and Thailand. But if Interpol has not issued a red notice, what can we do? Now our emphasis is on trial rather than extradition."