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State Minister Abul Hossain claims

PM now convinced my visit was justified

By Staff Correspondent
State Minister for LG RD and Cooperatives Syed Abul Hossain has explained his controversial private visit to Singapore for medical check-up' hist week and claimed he succeeded in convincing' the Prime Minister that his visit was Justified.
The premier reportedly expressed her annoyance over the visit using the state minister's old passport that identifies him as a businessman, instead of
his diplomatic passport.
The matter figured at the cabinet meeting on Thursday. He was summoned by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to explain the matter, prior to the meeting. Contrary to speculations, the issue did not come up at the Awami League Central Working Committee meeting yesterday, a top leader of the party said.
Syed Abul Hossain told The Daily Star last night the Prime Minister was convinced by the explanation he gave her.
_ 1 met the Prime Minister at her office prior to the cabinet meeting on Thursday and explained everything related to the visit. It seemed that she was convinced by the explanation I put forward," the state minister said.
On his request to permit him to go to Singapore again very soon, the Prime Minister, however, asked him not to go for the time-being,' he said.
Abul Hossain admitted that he had gone to Singapore on August 3 with a green passport' but declined to mention the visit as a business trip. He faxed some medical documents to The Daily Star in favour of his claim that he had gone to Singapore for treatment.
The state minister also told The Dally Star that as the Prime Minister was not at home then, he tad nought permission from Foreign Minister Abdus Samad Azad for going abroad and the latter verbally gave him permission. 'I also informed Dr S A Malek, Political Advisor to the Prime Minister about this." he added.
He said as his health was deteriorating. he could not wait for a written permission (GO) and "my staff arranged the visit. As immigration at the airport wanted to see the GO and it was not possible then to show the GO, they gave the green passport instead of diplomatic passport."
T found that I was carrying the green passport only when the plane touched the tarmac of Changi Airport in Singapore." Abul Hossain said.
Neither the Foreign Ministry asked for the green passport nor the passport was declared invalid when he received the diplomatic passport in 1996, he went on.
The state minister, however, did not say why he had not surrendered his old passport after getting the new one.
that some other people were also possessing more than one passports and cited two examples — a Joint secretary and a director of Shilpakala Academy.
A statement issued by the state minister's private secretary said that certain quarter was conspiring against him (Abul Hossain) these days.
Some sources in the Awaml League, seeking anonymity, however, said that he had been involved in various irregularities that needed to be addressed by the Prime Minister immediately.