Tarique Rahman surrendered passport to get political asylum, not to give up Bangladesh citizenship: BNP

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said acting party chief Tarique Rahman surrendered his passport to the UK Home Office to get political asylum in London, but not to give up Bangladesh citizenship.

“Comments of the government and ruling party clearly indicate that Tarique Rahman’s life is at stake in Bangladesh,” Islam said at a media briefing in Dhaka on Tuesday. 

“Under these circumstances, he has temporarily sought political asylum just like political leaders and ant-government eminent persons of other countries,” he said.

His comment came in response to State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam remarks that the UK Home Office has transferred Rahman and his family’s passports to the Bangladesh High Commission in London.

Alam shared copies of the UK Home Office letter and the BNP leader's passport with the media to back up his claim.

Islam said: “In line with the normal procedure, he [Tarique Rahman] submitted the passport to the UK Home Office. As per its law, the country has given travel permission after taking his passport. When he recovers from his illness, he will return to Bangladesh, just like other citizens. He will apply for his passport and get it back.” 

Rahman went to London in 2008 for better treatment. For the first time, BNP disclosed the legal status of his stay in the UK. 

Two months after Rahman took responsibility as an acting chairman of the BNP from his mother Khaleda Zia who is in jail in a corruption case, Shahriar Alam on Saturday claimed that he surrendered his passport to the UK government. 

In reaction to this, a lawyer for BNP served a legal notice on Alam asking him to withdraw his claim. 

On Monday, the party’s Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi also asked Alam to show documents over his claim.

Hours after Rizvi’s comment, Alam shared copies of the UK Home Office letter and the BNP leader's passport with the media to back up his claim on Monday and reiterated, “Tarique Rahman is not a citizen of the country.”

In sharp reaction to it, Fakhrul Islam said: “We firmly and clearly want to say that Tarique Rahman is a proud citizen of Bangladesh by birth. He was, still is and will remain a citizen of the country.”