The government of Kuwait is yet to inform its Bangladeshi counterpart about anything about the detention or arrest of independent Member of Parliament (MP) from Lakshmipur 2 constituency Mohammad Shahid Islam, also known as Kazi Papul.
The MP was arrested on Saturday night on charges of human trafficking and money laundering, which have not yet been officially confirmed by the authorities in Kuwait.
Neither the Kuwaiti Foreign Ministry has informed the Bangladesh embassy in Kuwait about the detention nor has the embassy of Kuwait in Bangladesh informed the Bangladesh Foreign Ministry of anything, according to senior officials concerned.
The Foreign Ministry is not yet sure whether the lawmaker was arrested or taken for some other reasons.
“The government of Kuwait did not tell us anything. We came to know from other sources that he (MP) was taken away from his residence on Saturday night,” SM Abul Kalam, Bangladesh ambassador to Kuwait, told Dhaka Tribune on Monday over telephone.
“I wrote a letter to the Kuwaiti Foreign Ministry yesterday (on Sunday). But, I have not yet received any reply,” he said.
“The restrictions on movement due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic are creating problems in terms of communications,” he added.
“Having known all the facts, we will apply for consular access to the lawmaker,” said the envoy.
To a question, he said, “I don’t have any idea if any other Bangladesh nationals were detained or arrested along with Mr Islam.”
“No information whatsoever so far either from the embassy of Kuwait in Dhaka or the Foreign Ministry of Kuwait,” Daud Ali, director general of consular and welfare wing of the Bangladesh Foreign Ministry, told this correspondent on Monday.
“We cannot apply for consular access to the lawmaker without getting all the necessary information,” he said.
When asked whether an MP enjoys some privileges in foreign countries, a senior official of the Foreign Ministry said, “It depends. If a lawmaker is on an official visit to a country, there will be certain protocols for him or her. However, if a lawmaker is in a country for any other purposes, the host countries are not obligated to offer him or her any special privileges.”
“As far as we know, the lawmaker is not on any official trip on behalf of the Parliament of Bangladesh or the government or he was not invited by the Kuwaiti government,” he said.
