EXCLUSIVELondon to consider extradition request

The UK Home Office says the elder son of Khaleda Zia is on a private medical healthcare visa. Full story

Syed Nahas Pasha

bdnews24.com correspondent

London, July 7 (bdnews24.com) — As an extradition partner of Bangladesh, the United Kingdom has said it will consider an official request for the extradition of Tarique Rahman who faces arrest warrant back home.

A UK Home Office spokesperson told bdnews24.com on Wednesday, "We shall consider any extradition request received from Bangladesh within the terms of the Act (Extradition Act 2003)."

Talks of the government possibly making a request to the British authorities to extradite the elder son of BNP chief Khaleda Zia started doing the rounds after ruling Awami League spokesman Syed Ashraful Islam said they would do whatever necessary to put Tarique on trial.

On July 3, Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate's Court issued arrest warrant against Tarique and 17 others in connection with the deadly grenade attack case an Awami League rally back in 2004.

The arrest was ordered hours after their indictment in the supplementary charge-sheet.

The grisly grenade attack on an Awami League meeting at Bangabandhu Avenue in Dhaka on Aug 21, 2004 had left 24 people, including incumbent president Zillur Rahman's wife Ivy Rahman, dead and 73 injured.

Tarique, who faces 14 cases for corruption and extortion, is in London to get treatment for a broken back after being released on parole in 2008.

The senior vice-chairman of the largest party in opposition, he is widely accused of running a government parallel to his mother's in 2001-06 from Khaleda's Hawa Bhaban office in Gulshan. The Awami League says he had masterminded the attack in the Hawa Bhaban to kill prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who then was the opposition leader.

Tarique has been living in the UK for nearly three years now.

There has been widespread confusion about the nature of his visa to the UK.

Bangladeshi media and the UK BNP unit leaders have given different answers to the question at various times. Some have said he is under political asylum while others claimed he had taken a student visa and others said he had an extended visitor visa.

"Mr Rahman is in the UK under a private medical healthcare visa," the spokesperson, who would not be named for official reasons, told bdnews24.com when asked about the immigration status of Tarique in country.

None in the law ministry or in the home ministry would comment on the issue.

When asked on Wednesday whether Tarique would be brought back with the help of Interpol, Awami League general secretary and LGRD minister Syed Ashraf told the media, "Prosecutors will take every measure necessary."

Bangladesh is designated as an extradition partner under Part 2 of the Extradition Act 2003. Under the act, Bangladesh should make extradition requests to the UK's foreign secretary.

It must also submit necessary documentation and prima facie evidence along with the request. The foreign secretary will examine the request and send it to a court, which will consider the application again and issue an arrest warrant, if satisfied.

Once arrested, an extradition hearing will follow. The person arrested may appeal to a higher court once his extradition order is issued.

However, the extradition laws require that the person must be dealt with in the requesting state only for the offences in respect of which he is extradited, and that he cannot face death penalty.

If the foreign secretary finds that these conditions are not met, he can order the discharge of the person.

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