Porimol Palma

Shahid Islam, the Laxmipur lawmaker now detained in Kuwait, was defended by the Bangladesh ambassador to the Gulf country in a February letter to the foreign ministry following media reports on his alleged criminal activities.

Besides, several Bangladeshi journalists, who worked as Kuwait correspondents for Bangladeshi media, accused the ambassador of protecting the MP.

On June 6, Kuwait’s Criminal Investigation Department arrested Shahid on charges of human trafficking, visa trading, and money laundering.

He has since confessed to bribing millions of dollars to Kuwaiti officials for recruiting Bangladeshi workers and getting contracts for his company.

More information on Shahid alias Kazi Papul, independent MP from Laxmipur-2 and managing director and CEO of Marafie Kuwaitia Group, is surfacing now after the Kuwait Public Prosecution’s interrogation.

In February, when local media first mentioned three Bangladeshis, including an MP, involved in human trafficking in Kuwait, Ambassador SM Abul Kalam in the letter to the foreign ministry said these reports were “baseless and motivated”.

Arabic-language newspaper Al-Qabas without naming Shahid reported that a Bangladeshi lawmaker was said to have given five expensive cars as gifts to senior government officials of Kuwait to facilitate his company Marafie Kuwaitia Group getting several government contracts.

After these reports were published in Kuwaiti newspapers, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam asked the Bangladesh ambassador to investigate the matter.

In the letter dated February 19, a copy of which has been obtained by The Daily Star, Abul Kalam said he summoned the Al-Qabas reporter to the embassy and asked about his sources of information and if he had any specific information about the investigation initiated by the Kuwait’s interior ministry.

“In response, the reporter said he heard it from his sources. I asked him about the name of the MP and two others, but he said he didn’t know the names and did not mention the name of the MP as well,” he wrote in the letter.

Abul Kalam said human trafficking happens when people illegally travel from one country to another and then asked if any such thing happened in this case. In response, the reporter said thousands of Bangladeshis were taken to Kuwait to work for these companies, the letter continued.

Probe against Laxmipur MP Shahid begins -- page 3