'Red alert not arrest warrant'

The red alert issued by Interpol is neither an arrest warrant, nor it has the power to put pressure on the authorities concerned to arrest someone.

The public relations division of Interpol made this statement in an email sent to Prothom Alo after being asked about this issue.

Interpol does not send its agents to arrest the people in question either, the email stated.

According to the email, through red notice, Interpol informs its 190 member countries that the person concerned has arrest warrant against him issued by any of the member countries or International Crime Tribunal. Interpol helps the police of member countries by identifying and locating the fugitive to make the extradition process easier.

However, it refused to give any information regarding the red alert issued upon BNP senior vice chairman Tarique Rahman as per their policy of not revealing information to anyone else but the authorities concerned.

The Interpol website is displaying the name and details including photograph of Tarique Rahman as a wanted person.

However, there is no date mentioned in the red notice issued by the international body of the police.

The red alert does not mention any specific charge against Tarique. There are several cases pending with the court, against the BNP's second top leader, Tarique, who has been in London for treatment since 2008. He has charges of murder and explosion of hand grenade in the Awami League meeting on 21 August 2004 where 24 people were killed.

No one with an Interpol-issued red alert has been extradited from the UK so far due to legal complexities. The UK government cannot send a fugitive back home even if they have extradition deal with the country concerned as the fugitive has the right to take legal aid. In the matter of extradition, the court has the final say.