Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed on Saturday expressed optimism that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) would soon return former Inspector General of Police Benazir Ahmed to Bangladesh after completing the necessary legal formalities.
He made the remarks while speaking to journalists at a ceremony held at the Ministry of Home Affairs at the Secretariat, where police personnel were honoured for their contributions to maintaining law and order.
Responding to questions on whether the repatriation process from Dubai would be difficult, Salahuddin Ahmed said the matter was already progressing and should be judged on developments rather than speculation.
He said UAE federal police had informed Bangladesh’s National Central Bureau through Interpol on 12 June that Benazir Ahmed had been arrested following the issuance of a Red Notice by Bangladeshi authorities.
According to him, the UAE authorities then requested that all required documents be submitted within 30 days. Bangladesh, however, sent the materials the following day.
The minister said the government forwarded the arrest warrant, case documents and other relevant records, all translated into Arabic, to support the repatriation process.
He added that officials prepared a detailed 144-page dossier overnight covering legal and procedural aspects of the case. He signed the documents at around 10:00pm while attending a parliamentary session, after which they were sent through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the UAE authorities.
Salahuddin Ahmed said an initial unofficial copy was shared with the foreign ministry, followed by formal submission the next morning when the senior secretary of the home ministry handed the papers to the foreign secretary. The documents were then processed, translated into Arabic, and sent through diplomatic channels, with the UAE Embassy in Dhaka also informed.
Expressing confidence in the process, he said, “I hope the UAE government will, following the due process, make arrangements to return Benazir Ahmed very soon. We will continue our efforts and remain engaged throughout the process.”
Former police chief Benazir Ahmed was arrested in the UAE after Bangladeshi authorities sought Interpol assistance in connection with ongoing cases and investigations.
Senior Home Secretary Monjur Morshed Chowdhury, Inspector General of Police Md Ali Hossain Fakir, Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mosleh Uddin Ahmed, and other senior officials attended the programme.
