Interpol initiative lost on extradition issue

Bangladesh is not getting any help currently from the International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol) in bringing back the fugitive criminals due to lack of extradition treaties with other member countries.
Although the Interpol website has showed a list of 86 Bangladeshi fugitive criminals, including three former lawmakers, 11 top terrors and over 20 listed terrors, they are not being arrested and sent back home by the international police.
Interpol Dhaka desk sources said around 600 more names of fugitive criminals are being verified for uploading on its website.
NBK Tripura, additional inspector general of police (administration), told The Daily Star that the absence of extradition treaties with other countries is the main bar to arrest and take the fugitives back to the country.
"The Interpol maintains communications among its member countries and, therefore, it displays the details of fugitive criminals to make the law enforcement agencies of different countries aware," Tripura said.
He said sometimes the Interpol desks of different countries work together to detect locations of wanted criminals if any country makes a request to the organisation.
"Among its 192 member countries, Bangladesh has extradition treaty only with Bangkok and we do not get any help from the Interpol in getting back the fugitive criminals due to an absence of treaty with other countries," said Assistant Inspector General (AIG-Interpol-Dhaka Desk) Hasib Aziz.
The names of fugitive former Awami League lawmakers Joynal Hazari of Feni, Shamim Osman of Narayanganj, and former Jatiya Party MP Golam Faruque Ovi of Barisal are now being displayed on the Interpol website.
Seven of the fugitive criminals are wanted by the authorities of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), India and Canada. They are Masud Karim Master and AKM Enamul Haque, wanted by Abu Dhabi on forgery charges, Reshmat Ali, wanted by Dubai on theft charge, Kamruzzaman, Kamrul Alam Munna of Khulna and Nazrul Islam of Feni, wanted by India on forgery charges, and Alim Uddin Khan of Moulvibazar, wanted by Canada on criminal charge.
Fugitive other Bangladeshi wanted criminals include Bashundhara Group Chairman Ahmed Akbor Sobhan's son Safiat Sobhan Sanvir, detained former BNP deputy minister Abdus Salam Pintu's brother Maolana Tajuddin of Tangail, top terror Subrata Bain of Moghbazar, who was recently arrested by Indian police, his accomplice Shahidul Islam of Munshiganj, top terrors Prokash Biswas of Mirpur, Jahangir Ferdouse alias Kala Jahangir of Bogra, his associate Robin, top terror Mollah Masud of Jhalakati, his associate Shameem Ahmed, gold smuggler and top terror Amin Rasul Sagar of Chittagong, top terror Haris Ahmed of Mohammadpur, listed terror Shahadat of Mirpur, top terror Omar Faruque Kochi of Mirpur, listed criminal Mokbul Hossain, top terror Zeesun, listed terrors Golam Rasul Sikder, Toffazzal Hossain Sikder, Shahar Ali, Feroz Ali, Towfiq Alam, Abdul Khaleq, Hashem, Kamrul Hasan, Abdul Gani, Shilendra Nath, Manotosh Bashak, Shamim Kabir, Mintu Salauddin, Selim Miah, Chan Miah, AHM Biplab, Swapan Malakar, Tushar Mahmud, Nasiruddin Khan, Zafar Ahmed, Abdul Zabbar, Rafiqul Islamm, Ataur Rahman Nurul Amin, Abdul Alim Aminur Rahman, Habibur Rahman, Motiur Rahman, Zahid Rahman, Nasiruddin Ratan, Proshanta Sarder, Golam Sarwar, Mahrab Uddin, Harun Sheikh and Kutub Uddin Hazari.