A Bangladesh court has ordered the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to ask Interpol for a red notice against former Land Minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury Javed and his wife, Rukmila Zaman. This move targets them in a major corruption case involving loan fraud and money laundering.
The order came from Chattogram’s Senior Metropolitan Special Judge Abdur Rahman during a hearing on Sunday. It follows a petition the ACC filed on September 18 through the National Central Bureau of Police Headquarters. ACC lawyer Mokarram Hossain told bdnews24 that the court approved the request right away. “The directive will go to Interpol via the Home Ministry,” he said.
Javed, a top Awami League figure, served as state minister for land from 2014 to 2018 and then as full land minister until 2023. Reports show he, his wife, and family fled to London on August 5, 2024—just days before student protests toppled the Awami League government.
The ACC launched the case on September 16 against Javed, his wife, and 24 others, including senior bank officials and former directors of United Commercial Bank (UCB). Authorities accuse them of a scheme worth 21 crore Bangladeshi Taka in fraudulent loans and laundered money, according to The Business Standard.
This action fits into a broader crackdown by the interim government under Muhammad Yunus. It focuses on Awami League leaders and officials tied to the ousted regime. The party has fired back, claiming the ACC is weaponizing the courts for political gain. They say it’s all about smearing former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her family through high-profile cases and media buzz, calling the red notice push more “optics” than real justice.
Analysts view these steps as a clear sign of political payback. Right after Hasina’s August 2024 ouster, authorities filed several cases against her, party members, and officials from her time in power—often on what critics call weak evidence. As Bangladesh tackles its corruption challenges, this Interpol red notice could ramp up the pressure on fugitives like Javed hiding abroad.
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