Bangladesh’s former police chief Benazir Ahmed was arrested in UAE, the interior minister said Sunday, years after he fled his home country where he is facing multiple charges including corruption.
Benazir, once a close ally of former leader Sheikh Hasina, left Bangladesh in May 2024 amid public outrage over allegations that he had stashed an illegal multi-million dollar fortune.
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The United States imposed sanctions against the official in 2021 for his alleged role in hundreds of disappearances and extrajudicial killings when he led the feared Rapid Action Battalion paramilitary force.
“Benazir Ahmed was arrested on June 12 and he will be extradited soon,” Bangladesh’s Interior Minister Salahuddin Ahmed told parliament.
“An Interpol Red Notice was issued against Benazir,” he added.
“This is a historic achievement. Through these efforts, we will be able to break the culture of impunity,” Salahuddin Ahmed said.
“We want to assure the nation that no perpetrator, however powerful, is above the law.”
A student-led revolt toppled former prime minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024, forcing her into exile.