State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam on Tuesday said the Malaysian government will defend the matter related to Bangladesh’s former High Commissioner to Malaysia M Khairuzzaman as it went to the court.
“The Malaysian government will defend the matter in the court because they made the decision to arrest Khairuzzaman and send him back to Bangladesh,” he told reporters while responding to a question.
The Malaysian High Court granted an “interim order” against the Immigration Department from deporting Khairuzzaman, Free Malaysia Today reported on Tuesday.
The State Minister said they (Khairuzzaman’s family) have gone through a legal process and they will achieve a partial success for the investment they have made.
He said the government of Bangladesh will uphold the spirit of respecting the court. “Whether we make a request or lobby – that’s a different chapter.”
Shahriar Alam said the Malaysian government will face the court and the government of Bangladesh will do it if the Malaysian government needs any cooperation to win the case successfully.
Read: Bangladesh pushes for killer Nur Chy’s deportation from Canada
Earlier on Monday, Shahriar Alam reiterated that M Khairuzzaman, arrested in Malaysia, would be brought back home soon despite his wife Rieta Rahman initiating various efforts to stop the Malaysian government from deporting the former Bangladesh envoy.
“I’m confident that he (Khairuzzaman) is coming back,” said the State Minister when approached by the journalists.
Shahriar Alam referred to the existing good relations between Bangladesh and Malaysia and said there has been “no disagreement” from the Malaysian side.
Earlier, the Malaysian government confirmed the arrest of Khairuzzaman due to an "offence" he "committed."
Malaysian Home Minister Hamzah Zainudin on Thursday said he was aware of the arrest. "The arrest was made according to procedures," The Star quoted him as saying.
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.
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.