Dhaka, Sep 21 (IANS) A Bangladesh court on Sunday instructed the country’s Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to request Interpol to issue a red notice against former Land Minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury Javed and his wife Rukmila Zaman over a corruption case, local media reported.

Chattogram’s Senior Metropolitan Special Judge Abdur Rahman issued the order following a hearing on the petition filed by the anti-graft body.

According to ACC lawyer Mokarram Hossain, the National Central Bureau of Police Headquarters filed a petition with the court on September 18, seeking an Interpol red notice against Javed and his wife.

“After the hearing, the court ordered the issuance of a red notice today. The court’s directive will be sent to Interpol through the Home Ministry,” Bangladeshi media outlet bdnews24 quoted Hossain as saying.

Javed, a senior Awami League leader, held the post of state Minister for Land from 2014-2018 before serving as Land Minister from 2019-2023.

Several media reports suggest that Javed, along with his wife and family, left for London on August 5, 2024, shortly before the fall of the Awami League government amid violent student-led protests.

On September 16, the ACC filed a case against the former Land Minister and 24 others, including his wife, senior bank officials, and former United Commercial Bank (UCB) directors, over allegations of loan fraud and money laundering worth Bangladeshi Taka 21 crore, Bangladesh’s leading newspaper, The Business Standard, reported.

These latest developments come amid the ongoing crackdown on Awami League leaders, along with the officials associated with the party, under the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government.

Recently, the Awami League accused the ACC of turning legal proceedings into a political weapon, filing multiple cases against former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her family to influence public perception.

According to the Awami League, amid court proceedings and intense media coverage, the ACC has escalated its campaign with the so-called ‘Red Notice Game’, a strategy which the party described as less about justice and more about optics.

Analysts reckon the developments as a major political vendetta being pursued by the Yunus regime, as several cases were filed against the former Prime Minister Hasina, her party members and the working officials during her tenure on frivolous grounds immediately following her ouster in August 2024.

–IANS

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