Interpol has withdrawn its red notice against BNP Senior Vice-Chairman Tarique Rahman as he was in London on “protective status,” Bangladesh Police have said.
In a press release yesterday, the police said the red notice had been withdrawn earlier this month. However, the main reason behind this decision could not be known immediately.
According to the press release, the NCB Branch of the Police Headquarters suspects that Tarique – after a red notice was issued against him – might have provided distorted information to the Commission for the Control of Interpol's Files, an independent body that monitors the processing of personal data.
Following this, Interpol reviewed its decision and withdrew the red notice, the press release read.
Asked why the red notice was reviewed, Interpol told Bangladesh Police that Tarique's notice could be withdrawn as he had “protective status” - which is similar to political asylum.
However, when Interpol was again asked on which country had provided the status to Tarique, they did not give any “satisfactory response,” the press release added.
The red notice against Tarique was issued April 14 last year, following a request from Bangladesh Police on February 10, 2015.
The red notice had been issued in connection with criminal cases, not political ones, the release pointed out.
Last Saturday, BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir also claimed that the Interpol had withdrawn the red notice against Tarique Rahman, who has been living in London since 2009.
The BNP leader said Interpol did not find any authenticity of the information against Tarique provided by the police on behalf of the government.
“Interpol in its own way investigated the information provided by the Bangladesh government but did not find any authenticity. They [Interpol] withdrew the red notice as they found the issue politically motivated under their article 3 clause,” he added.
