Govt denies entry to B’desh opposition leader’s lawyer
:British national Lord Alexander Carlile, who is a legal consultant to jailed former Bangladesh Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, has been denied entry into India on his arrival here for not having appropriate Indian visa, the Ministry of External Affairs said.
MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said Carlile’s intended activity in India was incompatible with the purpose of his visit as mentioned in his visa application.
Kumar said the British national had arrived on Wednesday without having obtained the appropriate Indian visa.
“His intended activity in India was incompatible with the purpose of his visit as mentioned in his visa application. It was, therefore, decided to deny him entry into India upon arrival,” he said responding to a query.
Carlile said “Since I did not get the permission to come to Dhaka, I wanted to hold the press conference in India in order explain the complexities of Khaleda Zia’s case to the international media community”.
“He was trying to create some kind of problem between India and Bangladesh governments. And he was also trying to create a misunderstanding between the Indian government and the opposition parties in Bangladesh... What you wanted to say here you could have done from London,” said Kumar.
“Yesterday whilst in mid air I was refused entry to India. The Indian government knew perfectly well why I was coming to give this briefing and to meet the Commonwealth Human Rights initiative. This is no way to treat a 70-year-old senior lawyer and Parliamentarian. I am outraged by the political interference in Begum Khaleda Zia’s case on political grounds on two governments. And I expect a full explanation from Indian government. I have the visa they granted me a few days ago. There will be a further briefing in London on a few day’s time,” Carlile said in a statement.
The high-profile lawyer was appointed by BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia’s legal team in March.
Khaleda, who has been in jail since she was sentenced in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case in February, faces nearly three dozen criminal cases.
NEW DELHI