SANGSAD BHABAN, Sept 8, 2026 (BSS) - Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed today said the government will not show any negligence in extraditing all fugitive accused, including former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Benazir Ahmed under the purview of law.

"The government is actively working with all the concerned foreign agencies to extradite all fugitive accused who have escaped from the country after the ousting of the past fascist regime, including the former IGP," he said.

The minister came up with this assurance while responding to a discussion on a proposal of extradition of former IGP Benazir Ahmed raised by opposition Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami lawmaker Mir Ahmad Bin Quasem of Dhaka-14 under Rule 147 of the Rules of Procedure at the Jatiya Sangsad here.

Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad chaired the session.

After hearing the discussion from both sides, the house adopted the proposal and the Speaker later asked the home minister to inform parliament of the effective measures in this regard.

The home minister said the government is working in coordination with Interpol, concerned law enforcement agencies, foreign ministries and the Bangladeshi missions abroad to identify, arrest and bring back all the fugitive accused.

To extradite the former IGP, he said all the concerned authorities are working in an integrated way to locate his present position, expedite the extradition process, verify the allegation of holding multiple passports and identify and seize all his illegal assets at home and abroad.

"The government is also committed to the rule of law and proper judicial process and international cooperation. The government is continuing all possible legal and administrative processes to bring back the former IGP into the country," he told the parliament.

Describing the government's initiative to extradite the former IGP, Salahuddin Ahmed said the government has already hired one of the best UAE-based law firms, 'Hamdan Al Kaabi Advocates and Legal Consultancy,' on July 30, to deal with the matter on behalf of the Bangladesh government.

Regarding media reports that the former IGP is currently in Saint Lucia, the Home Minister said the information has not yet been confirmed by appropriate sources.

Highlighting the data on various crimes against humanity during the period between 2009 and 2023, he said the total number of cases was between 7,000 and 8,000, including extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances.

According to the statistics, the number of custodial deaths was 1,048, while the number of people tortured to death by law enforcement agencies was 133.

Regarding enforced disappearances, the recorded number was 684, while the registered figure was around 709, according to different human rights organisations, including Mayer Dak and Odhikar.

According to the report filed at the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances,

approximately 1850 people were forcibly disappeared by various intelligence and law enforcement

agencies between January 1, 2010, and August 5, 2024.

During the period, the number of killings due to political violence stood at 2630 and the number of

extrajudicial killings was 2693 while the human rights organizations claimed that the number of

extrajudicial death cases approximately more than 3000 which could not be recorded.

A fact-finding report by the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has

revealed that around 1,400 people were killed during the July 2024 uprising. But unofficially the

number was over 2000.

Most of them were shot with military rifles and shotguns loaded with lethal metal pellets, commonly

used by the country's security forces.

The Home Minister called on the opposition not to blame the government but to cooperate with the

government to facilitate its efforts.

Terming IGP Benazir and Major General Ziaul Ahsan as accomplices of the fascist government led by

Sheikh Hasina for committing acts such as torture and enforced disappearances, the Home Minister

said "We will bring all the perpetrators under the law as we have already produced him to the ICT

court against his charges".

The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT)-1 framed charges in a case against former Director General

(DG) of the National Telecommunication Monitoring Centre (NTMC), dismissed major general Ziaul

Ahsan, over his alleged involvement in enforced disappearances and more than a hundred killings.

Former IGP Benazir Ahmed was arrested in Dubai on 12 June by local authorities. The government of

the United Arab Emirates (UAE) subsequently informed Bangladesh of the arrest by email.

According to relevant sources, he was detained with the assistance of Interpol in connection with a

case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed disclosed the development in a statement delivered under Rule 300 in

Parliament on June 14. He said Bangladesh must submit a formal request within 30 days of the arrest

if it wishes to secure Benazir's return.

On June 20, the home minister told journalists at his Ministry's conference room that the process

of bringing the former IGP back to Bangladesh is progressing very rapidly.

He said that after Benazir Ahmed was arrested by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) police on the basis

of an Interpol Red Notice, the authorities there had given Bangladesh 30 days to complete the next

legal steps.

However, the Ministry of Home Affairs prepared, translated and sent the required 144 pages of

documents to the UAE government through diplomatic channels in just three days.

The minister expressed hope that the UAE government would complete the necessary procedures and

arrange for Benazir Ahmed's return to Bangladesh very soon.

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir, State Minister for Shipping Rajib Ahsan, Deputy

Leader of the Opposition Abdullah Mohammad Taher of Cumilla-11, Rokeya Begum of women seat-45, Md

Shahidul Islam of Faridpur-4, Marzia Begum of women seat-38, ABM Mosharraf Hossen of Patuakhali-4,

Tasmia Prodhan of women seat-47, Akhter Hossen of Rangpur-4, participated in the discussion.