ENFORCEMENT agency officers arrested former Bangladesh high commissioner to Malaysia Mohamed Khairuzzaman yesterday, and are now waiting to deport him, sources said today. 

Mohamed, who had served as high commissioner in Malaysia from August 2007 to January 2009, was picked up from his residence in Ampang in a joint operation by the Immigration Department and Bangladeshi police.

“Yes, he (Mohamed) was arrested yesterday morning, and will be deported to Bangladesh. The Immigration Department assisted the Bangladeshi police in this arrest,” a source told The Malaysian Insight. 

Another source said the reason for the arrest was due to “political situation in his country”.

The Bangladesh High Commission declined to comment.

The Immigration Department, Bukit Aman and Wisma Putra have not responded to queries.

The Bangladeshi government revoked Mohamed’s passport in January 2009 and recalled him to Dhaka to face a criminal trial over a 1975 political assassination.

The 70-year-old retired army major was previously acquitted of that charge.

According to Bangladesh media reports, Mohamed had sought help from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Kuala Lumpur, fearing for his life after the revocation of his passport.

Since then, he has been living as a refugee in Malaysia.

Bangladeshi media also reported that Mohamed’s lawyers had demanded for his immediate release based on his refugee status, and were planning to file a habeas corpus application in court if he was not released. 

His lawyers also claimed that Mohamed was being detained by the Malaysian Immigration Department without any valid reason. – February 10, 2022.