Tarique submits passport for asylum in UK

BNP said on Tuesday that its acting chairman Tarique Rahman submitted his passport to the British Home Office as he got political asylum there, but that does not mean he has relinquished his Bangladesh nationality, reports UNB.

"Tarique Rahman sought political asylum for a temporary period and got it. As part of this process, he submitted his passport to the British Home Office," said BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.

Speaking at a press conference at the BNP's Nayapaltan central office, he further said, "The information which is being spread about sending his (Tarique's) passport to the Bangladesh High Commission, London by the British Home Office for retention doesn't legally and logically prove that he relinquished his Bangladeshi citizenship."

The BNP leader said it is shame for the nation that the state minister for foreign affairs does not know for what reasons a citizen loses his nationality.

He also termed mysterious the forwarding letter of the British Home Office presented by State Minister for Foreign Affairs M Shahriar Alam about retention of Tarique passport as there are 13 major mistakes.

"We would like to equivocally say that Tarique Rahman is a proud citizen of Bangladesh by birth. He was the citizen of this beloved country, he's still and will remain so in the future, too," Fakhrul said.

Fakhrul said Shahriar's comment on relinquishing Bangladesh nationality by Tarique is unlawful and illogical. "We strongly protest and condemn it."