Foreign minister Dr AK Abdul Momen said the Kuwaiti government is yet to inform them officially of the conviction of Bangladeshi MP Mohammad Shahid Islam alias Kazi Papul in a case related to human trafficking, residency visa trading, and money laundering.
He made the remarks at a function in Dhaka on Sunday, reports UNB.
Foreign Minister also said: “Once we receive documents from the Kuwait government, we will share them with the relevant offices and parliament. Then a decision will be taken as per the rules.”
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has asked the Bangladesh Ambassador to Kuwait to get the official document.
“Papul did not go to Kuwait using a diplomatic passport or as an MP but he went there as a businessman,” Foreign Minister said.
"But it's regrettable," he said, adding: “We feel proud when any Bangladeshi does something good abroad and get hurt when someone commits misdeeds.”
No impact on Bangladesh-Kuwait bilateral ties
Also Read- Kuwait jails MP Papul for 4 years on human trafficking charges
He also reiterated that Papul’s incarceration is not going to affect Bangladesh-Kuwait relations. “We not only have diplomatic ties with Kuwait, but we also maintain relations on several other fronts with them including military relations,” the foreign minister told reporters on Sunday, as reported by Bangla Tribune.
The MP status of Papul will not be revoked right away, Momen said.
The government will not take a decision until the matter is informed officially, he mentioned.
“The Kuwaiti government has yet to inform us officially. We only saw the news in newspapers,” Momen added.
“Papul has committed a misdeed … It is a shameful matter for us,” Momen remarked.
Kuwait jails MP Papul for 4 years
A Kuwait court on Thursday sentenced independent MP Papul to four years in jail in a case related to human trafficking, residency visa trading and money laundering, reports UNB.
The court also fined the MP 1.90 million Kuwaiti dinars.
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Kuwait detained Papul, managing director and CEO of a company there, in June last year and sent him to jail. The trial of Kazi Papul began in mid-September.
