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Sunday, November 3, 2024

India deports legal advisor of imprisoned Bangladeshi Opposition leader

News Analysis |

India on Wednesday night deported Lord Alexander Carlile, lawyer for former Bangladesh PM Khaleda Zia less than two hours after landing at Delhi airport on the grounds that he did not have a valid visa. “Lord Alexander Carlile, a British national, arrived in New Delhi on July 11, 2018 without having obtained the appropriate Indian visa.”

“His intended activity in India was incompatible with the purpose of his visit as mentioned in his visa application. It was therefore decided to deny him entry into India upon arrival,” MEA spokesperson said in response to a query on denial of entry of Lord Carlile into India. Carlile was earlier scheduled to hold a press meet in Delhi on July 12. The event was canceled after the decision to deport him.

Sources familiar with Carlile claimed that he had a business visa. Experts on Indo-Bangla affairs, however, allege that Carlile is known to have links with outlawed extremist group Jamaat-e-Islami and is trying to defend BNP at the behest of Jamaat. He had earlier alleged that the legal case in Bangladesh court against Zia lacks admissible evidence and this may be a play to keep her away from the elections. He is a member of House of Lords.

Many ministries also recruited agents. Reports have almost come out that many unknown individuals have been recruited in police whereas their name, addresses have not been verified because they provided false addresses.

The incident happened a week after Bangladesh issued a demarche to Indian diplomatic staff in Bangladesh. Bangladesh had summoned acting Indian high commissioner Adarsh Swaki on Tuesday (July 3) after a Bangladeshi newspaper had reported that Lord Alexander Carlile was planning to visit India.

His visit was to take place just a few weeks after a delegation of senior Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP – Khaleda Zia’s party) members visited Delhi to meet with think-tanks and Indian politicians. The BNP delegation called upon India to ensure that the forthcoming parliamentary elections were free and fair and New Delhi wasn’t seen to be backing just one party in Bangladesh.

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After the BNP delegation’s visit, the MEA spokesperson had denied that India would interfere in elections in the neighbourhood. “I don’t think government of India is going to intervene or interfere in any democratic exercise which is being conducted in any country around us and especially the neighbouring countries,” he said.

On July 1, Bangladeshi newspaper Daily Sun first reported that Carlile was planning to travel to the Indian capital to meet with “Indian government policymakers and journalists”. Four days later, the acting Indian high commissioner Adarsh Swakia was summoned and issued a démarche by Bangladeshi foreign secretary Mohammed Shahidul Haque. The Indian high commissioner to Bangladesh Harsh Shringla was in Delhi to attend the annual heads of missions conference. India apparently assured Dhaka that Indian soil would not be used for ‘anti-Bangladesh activity’.

Sources familiar with Carlile claimed that he had a business visa. Experts on Indo-Bangla affairs, however, allege that Carlile is known to have links with outlawed extremist group Jamaat-e-Islami and is trying to defend BNP at the behest of Jamaat.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s political advisor H.T. Imam was also in Delhi last weekend to reinforce the message that BNP has collaborated against Indian interests. The situation in Bangladesh has aroused sharp concerns the world over. The situation worsened after the controversial 2014 elections that saw the consolidation of Sheikh Hasina’s government. Analysts assert that India has played a crucial role in establishing Sheikh Hasina’s stranglehold over the nation and in return has reaped many concessions from Dhaka.

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There are reports that there are almost 1–1.5 million Indians working in Bangladesh without any work permit or proper VISA and these people are a huge source of intel for RAW. There are also assertions that RAW has strong access to almost all the important institutions in Bangladesh. They have strong positions in military, police, civil administrations, etc.

Many agents have been planted in the military and the top officials of the military who has a background of being an agent got promoted very quickly. Many ministries also recruited agents. Reports have almost come out that many unknown individuals have been recruited in police whereas their name, addresses have not been verified because they provided false addresses. It is suspected that they are recruited from covert Indian agents. These agents help in Hasina’s suppression of dissent throughout the country.