Efforts on to bring back Jail killing accused from Malaysia: Shahriar

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam on Thursday told media that the government is trying to bring back former envoy to Malaysia Md. Khairuzzaman, who was detained by Malaysian police on Wednesday.

Khairuzzaman, a retired army major, was accused of participating in the 1975 Jail Killing case and was later acquitted before being appointed as Bangladesh’s High Commissioner to Malaysia in 2007 during the caretaker government.

The letter issued by the Malaysian Home Ministry has said that he (Khairuzzaman) has been arrested due to “an offence committed and a request by the home country (Malaysia), I don’t know about that, the embassy (Bangladesh embassy in Malaysia ) knows the issue, maybe it is an “over staying ” issue.

He said maybe the permission of staying in Malaysia has expired; he may break any laws under which he has been detained.

Replying to a question Shahriar said, “I don’t know anything about his refugee card, the government (Malaysian) said he has been detained due to violation of immigration law.”

After the Awami League-led government came to power in 2009, he was recalled to Dhaka. But Khairuzzaman did not return and obtained the UN Refugee Card in Kuala Lumpur and continued to stay there, according to The Star.Malaysian Home Minister Hamzah Zainudin said he was aware of the arrest of the former diplomat, The Star reported. On the grounds of the arrest, the minister said it was due to “an offence committed and a request by his home country,” he said.

Khairuzzaman did not return and obtained the UN Refugee Card in Kuala Lumpur and continued to stay there, according to The Star.

Malaysian Home Minister Hamzah Zainudin said he was aware of the arrest of the former diplomat, The Star reported. On the grounds of the arrest, the minister said it was due to “an offence committed and a request by his home country.”

The Malaysian Immigration Department has detained a former Bangladeshi envoy to Malaysia who has been residing there as a refugee for almost a decade.

Khairuzzaman was among the other names implicated in the 1975 Jail Killing case, those involved with four prominent figures of Awami League leaders killing.

“The arrest was made according to procedures,” he said on Thursday.

On the grounds of the arrest, the minister said it was due to “an offence committed and a request by his home country,” The Star report quoted the minister as saying.

He was later acquitted and appointed as a high commissioner to Malaysia in 2007, before being ordered back to Dhaka after Awami League came into power in 2009.

Khairuzzaman reportedly sought refugee status and continued living in Malaysia since 2009. Later, Khairuzzaman, accused of atrocities against members of the current ruling party Awami League, reportedly holds a United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) card and has been there.

“Khairuzzaman was arrested yesterday morning from his residence in Ampang area in Kuala Lumpur,” Malaysian Star said.

The report said that Khairuzzaman’s lawyer has also served a legal notice to the authorities, demanding the former's immediate release.

The lawyer, who was also not named, alleged that Khairuzzaman was detained without any valid reason, and that a habeas corpus filing would be made in court, if he is not released within 24 hours, star reports.

The Bangladesh High Commission in Kuala Lumpur did not want to comment when asked whether the former envoy will be deported to Bangladesh.