Convicted in Kuwait: Papul finally loses his JS membership
Mohammad Shahid Islam, also known as Kazi Papul. Photo: Collected
The seat of independent lawmaker Mohammad Shahid Islam, also known as Kazi Papul, has been vacated yesterday on grounds of moral turpitude.
The parliament secretariat issued a gazette notification to that end yesterday afternoon following a meeting between Speaker Shirin Sharmin and top officials of the secretariat, Zafar Ahmed Khan, senior secretary at the parliament secretariat, told The Daily Star.
The gazette has been in effect from January 28, 2021 the day Kazi Papul, lawmaker from Laxmipur-2, was sentenced to four years of rigorous imprisonment by a Kuwaiti court for human trafficking and bribing Kuwaiti officials.
Process underway to take action against Papul
Says senior secretary of parliament secretariat
Laxmipur-2 MP Mohammad Shahid Islam, also known as Kazi Papul. Photo: Collected Star Digital Report Star Digital Report
The process of taking action against independent Laxmipur-2 lawmaker Mohammad Shahid Islam alias Kazi Papul has been started as documents and other papers on his conviction in a Kuwait court has reached the parliament secretariat.
Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury received a copy of the documents on Thursday evening.
On January 28, Papul was sentenced to four years imprisonment and fined 1.97 million Kuwaiti dinars (Tk 55 crore) in a bribery case.
Talking to The Daily Star today, Zafar Ahmed Khan, senior secretary, parliament secretariat, said process regarding taking decision on Shahid Islam s membership in parliament has already started.
A decision on parliament membership of Mohammad Shahid Islam alias Kazi Papul is likely to be made in two to three days, around three weeks after a Kuwait court sentenced him to four years in prison in a bribery case.
The independent lawmaker from Lakshmipur-2 was also fined 1.97 million Kuwaiti dinars (Tk 55 crore) by the court in the case on January 28.
The copy of the verdict on his conviction reached Jatiya Sangsad Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury on Thursday, and the process of taking action against the convicted lawmaker began. We received the copy of the verdict Thursday. We will evaluate the matter in line with the constitution and the rules of procedure of parliament, she told The Daily Star yesterday afternoon.
Mohammad Shahid Islam alias Kazi Papul was part of an organised gang and he allegedly acted like a mafia boss who extorted money from the poor and low-income Bangladeshi migrant workers in Kuwait, reported the media there.
On Thursday, a court in Kuwait sentenced Papul, an independent lawmaker from Laxmipur-2, to four years in prison and fined him 1.97 million Kuwaiti dinars (around Tk 55 crore) in a bribery case. He was accused of acting like a mafia boss, demanding taxes from the poor and low-income workers. Witnesses in the case offered evidence of the Bangladeshi MP s grip on compatriot workers in Kuwait, The Times, a local newspaper, reported on Thursday.
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Question raised over Papul`s Parliament membership The New Nation
Staff Reporter :
Question has been raised over the legality of Mohammad Shahid Islam Papul as Member of the Parliament from Laxmipur-2 Constituency after his conviction by a Kuwaiti court.
Law Minister Anisul Huq said that they would review it after getting the copy of the verdict and they are trying for it.
The Minister said, As per our Constitution if anyone is convicted for a criminal offence for a term of not less than two years he/she shall be disqualified for the MP post. But before taking any action against him we have to get the copy of the verdict delivered against him. We are trying to collect the copy.