Sacked Deputy Attorney General Imran Ahmed Bhuiyan, who sought shelter at the US Embassy in Dhaka with his family, has returned to his Lalmatia residence in the capital under police protection.
The government has assured the embassy that there is no fear of his arrest. When embassy officials informed Imran, he decided to return home.
Imran said he waited at the embassy from 3pm to 7:30pm on Friday.
“The government has informed the embassy that there is no possibility of my arrest. Embassy officials assured me. Later, the police escorted me home,” he added.
Earlier in the day, Imran Ahmed Bhuiyan claimed that he was seeking shelter at the US Embassy in Dhaka along with his family.
Bhuiyan told the media that he went to the US Embassy in Dhaka with his family, as he was being threatened on Facebook and WhatsApp.
When contacted, at around 6:30pm, US Embassy Spokesperson Bryan Schiller told Dhaka Tribune that they had no information in this regard.
“At this time, we have no information to offer.”
Law Minister Anisul Huq announced the dismissal of Deputy Attorney General Imran Ahmed Bhuiyan from his position.
The minister made the announcement in response to questions from reporters at Akhaura Junction Railway Station in Brahmanbaria.
On Thursday, a notification was issued dismissing Deputy Attorney General Imran Ahmed Bhuiyan from his post for making a comment to reporters about a statement regarding Nobel laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus.
The Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs issued the notification.
The notification stated that the dismissal was carried out in accordance with the president's directive. It was made public on Friday afternoon.
On September 4, Deputy Attorney General Imran informed the media that he had declined to endorse a statement that was being prepared by the Attorney General's Office intending to express the government's stance on a recent letter from prominent global figures concerning the trial of Nobel Laureate Dr Yunus in a case filed over labour law violations.
The next day, the law minister criticized Imran for his actions, asserting that he had violated discipline by publicly declaring his refusal to sign the aforementioned letter.
"He should have resigned before talking about Dr Yunus to the media or should have taken permission from the attorney general,” the minister said back then.
Meanwhile, Attorney General AM Amin Uddin at the time said there had been no directive from his office to issue a counter-statement against Nobel laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus, adding that DAG Imran had talked to the media “to please someone.”
"Yesterday was his day off, and he had no official duty. Yet he appeared in a suit and conducted a briefing. I urge you (journalists) to investigate and discover the motive behind his briefing, whom he wanted to please and why?"
On August 28, global leaders, including more than 100 Nobel laureates, issued an open letter to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, saying: "We are alarmed that he [Yunus] has recently been targeted by what we believe to be continuous judicial harassment."
In response to the call from world leaders to suspend legal action against Yunus, a total of 171 notable citizens, intellectuals, and professionals in Bangladesh issued a joint statement on September 2.
The open letter submitted to the prime minister by some Nobel laureates, legislators, businessmen and civil society members from multiple countries "seems to be a clear threat to Bangladesh's sovereignty and independent judiciary," reads the statement issued by Dhaka University Professor Nisar Hossain, on behalf of the 171 signatories.
The signatories included educationists, economists, lawyers, journalists, actors, writers and theatre personalities.
