KUALA LUMPUR – Bangladesh national M.A. Quayum was granted a stay of deportation by the high court here this morning, following his arrest last week in what a human rights group says is a crackdown on the country’s opposition politicians.
Suara Rakyat Malaysia executive director Sevan Doraisamy said Quayum, who holds an active UNHCR card, was granted the stay when he appeared in court today for his habeas corpus application.
With this, Doraisamy urged the government to release Quayum immediately and unconditionally from police detention, where he has been placed since his arrest on January 12 by Malaysian police and Bangladesh’s National Security Intelligence.
“We demand the Immigration Department to fully comply with this court order and immediately cease any plans to deport Quayum,” Doraisamy said.
“As a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council, Malaysia must uphold its commitment to respect and protect refugees fleeing persecution, as well as refrain from forcibly returning them to a country where they may face harm.
“Violating the principle of non-refoulement would cast doubt on the Madani government’s commitment to human rights,” Doraisamy said.
Quayum, a member of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, was detained from his residence in Ampang and kept at the Ampang Jaya police district headquarters since.
According to Bangladesh news portal The Daily Star, Quayum has been living in Malaysia under a second-home visa for the last eight years.
“The arrest and detention was unwarranted. He is a Bangladeshi opposition politician and a recognised UNHCR refugee. This move (in detaining and deporting him) exposes Quayum to the risks of torture and other human rights violations.
“The government must immediately cease any plans for deportation, as such actions contravene international law and are inconsistent with the country’s human rights obligations,” Doraisamy said.
He added that the Bangladeshi government had been on a crackdown against its political opposition over the last year in the run-up to the country’s recent elections.
“Various international human rights groups have reported widespread arbitrary arrests, detention, torture and ill-treatment of opposition leaders and BNP members by the authorities.” – January 18, 2024