Sports heroes struggle, too
Karlsson affair a reminder that stars are human
There is a room tucked away in most arenas that has long seemed like a funny throwback to a much earlier time. It usually has a simple sign outside that says something like Players’ Wives’ Room, but the label is unnecessary: between the lounge chairs and the parked baby strollers and the assorted children’s toys strewn about, it is fairly clear that it is not a meeting room or a highpriced luxury suite.
The idea that there is this specific place for women to gather while their husbands are at work feels of another era, the modern version of the parlour where the ladies gathered while the menfolk smoked cigars and conducted serious business.
But it’s also a reminder that, for as much as athletes can be treated like fungible assets, they are actual people with personal lives and families and all that can entail.
It’s a point that was blown into the open in about the most awkward way possible this week with the news that Melinda Karlsson, wife of star Ottawa Senators defenceman Erik, has applied for a peace bond that alleges serial online harassment by Monika Caryk, the girlfriend of Mike Hoffman, his Sens teammate.
There are many caveats to note with this story. None of the allegations have been tested in court; and the peace bond, which dates to early May, still has not been served on Caryk herself.
The Daily Star’s account also reported Trudeau “expressed his compassion to Sheikh Hasina” and told her that “Canadian officials were quietly engaged in dealing with the issue.”
Trudeau’s office had released a public summary of the meeting on June 10, but it made no mention of Chowdhury’s case. The summary said the two leaders discussed “opportunities to improve the resilience of coastal communities and to reduce plastic waste,” as well as support for the Rohingya and others displaced by the Myanmar conflict.
Asked on Wednesday whether the leaders discussed Chowdhury’s case, Trudeau’s office said it had nothing to add to the public summary.
The court document, however, shows this has been an active file between the two governments.
“In September 2016, these issues were discussed in a meeting between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wazed ... As a result of that meeting, a further meeting of Canadian and Bangladesh officials was held in April 2017,” the application for judicial review reads.
It says Canadian officials had explained the limitation on deporting someone likely to face execution. But they had declined to give Bangladesh information on Chowdhury’s current immigration status, including whether he was ever granted a pre-removal risk assessment — a formal mechanism that exempts someone from being deported.
In January 2018, Mizanur Rahman, Bangladesh’s High Commissioner to Canada, wrote to Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen requesting the status of Chowdhury’s risk assessment. Hussen denied the request on two grounds: that Chowdhury had a reasonable expectation of privacy, and that Canada and Bangladesh don’t have an information sharing agreement.
Rahman then requested that a special information sharing agreement be negotiated, but was again rebuffed on privacy grounds.
The Federal Court application, filed by Torys LLP in Toronto, seeks to have the court reject the minister’s decision as unreasonable, arguing Hussen did not fully consider the “significant” public interest grounds in releasing Chowdhury’s information.
“Chowdhury has been convicted of a crime of great significance for the people of Bangladesh ... The information sought is necessary to enable the Government of Bangladesh to assess its policy options and the basis of negotiations with the Government of Canada.”
Chowdhury’s case received significant media coverage in Canada in 2011, including articles in the National Post, Maclean’s and the Toronto Star. At the time, he was found to be living in a condo in the Toronto neighbourhood of Etobicoke with his wife, Rashida Khanam. But Chowdhury has avoided the spotlight since then. A message left on what appeared to be Chowdhury’s voice mail was not returned.
The Bangladesh High Commission did not respond to request for comment, while a spokesperson for Hussen said they can’t discuss any case without signed consent.
The court document says Bangladesh has been trying to resolve this with Canada for more than a decade.
“In those discussions, the Government of Bangladesh has emphasized the significance of the assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman ... the worldwide effort on the part of the Government of Bangladesh to bring Chowdhury and the other fugitives from that assassination (and coup) to justice, and the importance of obtaining Canada’s co-operation to uphold the rule of law and avoid becoming a safe haven for people who have committed crimes abroad.”