Momen terms MP’s human trafficking allegation ‘fake news’

Foreign minister AK Abdul Momen
Foreign minister AK Abdul Momen

Foreign minister AK Abdul Momen has rubbished the reports linking a Bangladeshi member of parliament (MP) with human trafficking, terming it a ‘fake news’. 

Kuwaiti news outlets - the daily Al-Qabas and Arab Times - recently ran reports on the arrest of an unidentified Bangladeshi for money laundering and human trafficking.

The media houses in Kuwait, however, did not mention the names of the accused.

Bangladesh embassy officials in Kuwait said the accused parliamentarian is Kazi Shahid Islam alias Papul. He is an elected member of parliament (MP) from Lakshmipur-2 constituency.

When asked about the MP, the foreign minister on Sunday claimed, “We have come to know that this is fake news.”

“This was, possibly, published in one of the Kuwaiti newspapers. The newspaper, later, admitted that they had doubts over the report’s credibility,” he added. 

The Kuwait Criminal Investigation Department (CID) claimed that a gang of three including the parliamentarian illegally earned nearly Tk 14 billion by trafficking at least 20,000 Bangladeshis to Kuwait.

Speaking to Prothom Alo Lakshmipur correspondent, Shahid Islam said, “This is a conspiracy against me locally and internationally for being elected an MP. I’m not involved in any criminal activities and have been running my business with a good reputation.”