Speaker says decision on jailed MP Shahid after official communication from Kuwait

Parliament will decide the fate of MP Shahid Islam alias Kazi Papul, who has been jailed for four years in Kuwait for human trafficking and money laundering, once the Gulf state officially communicates, the speaker has said.

Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury said on Saturday she learnt about the conviction from media reports.

“Measures will be taken in line with the constitution and parliamentary rules of business after getting official words,” she added.

Workers Party MP Rashed Khan Menon said the speaker was correct to say the official communication was required to act against Shahid, but the former minister wondered why the embassy in Kuwait failed to confirm the information over six months after his arrest.

According to Article 66 of the constitution, a person shall be disqualified for election as, or for being, a member of parliament who has been, on conviction for a criminal offence involving moral turpitude, sentenced to imprisonment for a term of not less than two years, unless a period of five years has elapsed since his release.

“It is clearly stated in the constitution what will happen if an MP is punished by a court whether it happens in the country or abroad,” said Menon.

Former law minister Shafique Ahmed agreed with Menon on the action by parliament, but noted that parliament must have the official record first.

Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen claimed at a programme that the Kuwaiti authorities did not respond to the embassy’s request for official confirmation.

BNP MP Harunur Rashid believes parliament should have cancelled Shahid’s membership long ago.

He noted that a person shall be disqualified for election as, or for being, a member of parliament who acquires the citizenship of, or affirms or acknowledges allegiance to, a foreign state.

Shahid has been residing in Kuwait in line with the country’s Aliens Residence Law, which MP Harunur believes should be considered as allegiance to a foreign state.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had earlier said that parliament would cancel Shahid’s membership if he had Kuwaiti citizenship.

The MP of Lakshmipur-2 seat was arrested in Kuwait on June 6 last year.

Besides human trafficking and money laundering, the Kuwaiti prosecutors charged Shahid with torturing employees of his company, based on the complaints from five Bangladeshi nationals subjected to trafficking. The incident stirred a political furore in Kuwait.

Worker recruiter Shahid runs the Marafie Kuwaitia Group as managing director and CEO.

The Bangladesh MP confessed to bribing Kuwait officials and his statement has been published in the media.

Having travelled to Kuwait as a migrant worker, Shahid now owns a business empire there. He also has a sizable number of shares of NRB Commercial Bank, founded by expatriate Bangladeshi entrepreneurs.

His company Marafie Kuwaitia used to recruit cleaners but later he started other businesses in Kuwait. Shahid had a licence called ‘general trading and contracting’ which enabled him to run a business of many products ranging from children’s toys to antique carpet.

Shahid won the Laxmipur-2 seat in the 2018 election as an independent candidate. He also launched a successful bid to bring his wife Salina Islam to parliament as a reserved-seat MP.

Kuwait authorities have frozen his bank accounts. Bangladesh is also investigating him and his wife.