Interpol issues red notice against PK Halder

The International Criminal Police Organisation, commonly known as Interpol, issued a red notice against former NRB Global Bank managing director Proshanta Kumar Halder on Friday.

The notice was issued days after the Bangladesh authorities requested the Interpol, said Sohel Rana, Assistant Inspector General (AIG) of media at Bangladesh Police headquarters.

The move was made after the High Court on 19 November last year asked the government and the Anti-Corruption Commission to explain in 10 days what steps had been taken to bring Proshanta Kumar Halder, also known as PK Halder, back to the country from abroad.

The National Central Bureau (NCB) at the police headquarters requested the Interpol on Monday to issue a red notice against Halder, said NCB AIG Mohiul Islam.

Mohiul said they suspected that Halder might have been hiding in Canada and asked the Interpol to alert the police there.

The High Court on Tuesday slapped an international travel ban on 25 people, including the family members and some reported girlfriends of Halder, a former official of the Bangladesh Bank, and a former secretary, for their alleged connection with him.

Halder was facing an allegation of embezzling over Tk10,000 crore, which he took out as loans from different financial institutions in the name of companies owned by him and his family members.

Halder fled the country after the allegation surfaced.