UK concerned over disappearance of Ilias Ali

Even after nearly one year of Ilias Ali’s disappearance, the UK hopes that the opposition leader will return ‘safe’ as they remain ‘concerned’ for the BNP Organising Secretary.

Replying to questions at a press briefing, visiting Senior State Minister for Foreign Affairs Baroness Warsi said the issue was a ‘huge interest’ in the UK, both at parliamentary and public levels.

“I answered the debate (in the parliament) on behalf of the government,” she said and that even those who do not have any connection with Bangladesh were ‘concerned’.

She believed that the issue could be ‘brought to a conclusion’.

The minister ended her three-day visit in Bangladesh Wednesday after meeting Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Leader of Opposition Khaleda Zia and Foreign Minister Dipu Moni, apart from visiting Sylhet, from where most Bangladeshis migrated to the UK, and the Rohingya camps in Cox’s Bazar.

Warsi made her first visit to Bangladesh as a Senior State Minister for Foreign Affairs at a time when the country’s main political parties are divided over the process of next general elections.

The Conservative leader said when she talked about ‘free, fair and inclusive’ elections, which effectively meant that ‘the election is free from violence.’

“We spoke about the concerns on political violence in the run-up to the elections,” she said adding that she did raise the Ilias Ali issue when he had disappeared and also subsequently.

“We remained concerned for Mr Ali,” she told a crowded media briefing.

“We hope (Inshaallah) this matter is brought to a conclusion, and like his family, we all hope that it will be a safe return,” she said.

The BNP leader went missing in Apr last year along with his driver.