Interpol issues 'red corner' notice against Khaleda Zia's son

DHAKA: The Interpol has issued a 'red corner' notice for arrest of Bangladesh ex-premier Khaleda Zia's eldest son for masterminding a deadly grenade attack on a rally in 2004 that killed 24 people and permanently impaired the hearing ability of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Tarique Rahman, 47, was issued the notice in absentia as he has been in exile in London for over six years.

The Interpol's 'most wanted' list has carried Rahman's picture with details, saying Bangladesh is seeking him to stand trial in the case.

Interpol, however, did not mention when the red notice was issued but the Bangladesh's TV channels today widely carried the report today as it appeared in the France-based world police organisation's website.

The notice read Rahman, also the senior vice chairman of BNP and currently living in London, was "wanted by the judicial authorities of Bangladesh for prosecution /to serve a sentence" as a Dhaka court earlier declared him "absconding" when he failed to appear on the dock to face the charges in person.

Rahman faces 14 charges, including the August 21, 2004 grenade attack on an Awami League rally that killed 24 people and injured over 300 people.

Hasina, who addressed that rally, barely survived that attack but her hearing was affected.

Rahman, then a powerful figure in the coalition government, is one of the prime accused as an alleged mastermind of the conspiracy leading to the attack.

Rahman was arrested by the past military-backed interim government in 2006 and implicated in a couple of corruption cases. He was granted parole and allowed to go abroad for medical treatment in 2008.

He preferred to stay back in the UK as the 2008 general elections brought Awami League to power with three-fourth majority.