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Bangladesh embassy officials dismissed following adviser’s harassment in Geneva

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Ministry of Foreign Affairs has taken swift action following the harassment of Adviser Asif Nazrul at Geneva Airport, resulting in the dismissal of a labour counsellor and a local staff member

Staff Correspondent

Publisted at 10:15 AM, Thu Nov 14th, 2024

LLaw, Justice, and Parliamentary Affairs Adviser Professor Asif Nazrul faced harassment at Geneva Airport, leading to the dismissal of Labour Counsellor Muhammad Kamrul Islam.

Additionally, the decision to terminate the employment of Mizan, a former Commerce Ministry employee who worked as local staff, has also been finalised.  

Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that it perceives the incident involving Asif Nazrul as deliberate.

Despite protocol arrangements for the adviser, the occurrence of such an incident raised concerns, prompting the ministry to seek an explanation from the Bangladesh Embassy and Permanent Mission in Geneva through a diplomatic note.  

The swift response from headquarters followed shortly after receiving the diplomatic note.

According to information from the Bangladesh Embassy in Geneva, there may be connections involving an official appointed during the Awami League tenure and a local staff member.  

Further reports from diplomatic and foreign ministry sources indicate that Labour Counsellor Muhammad Kamrul Islam, posted at the Bangladesh Embassy in Geneva, has been "stand released" based on the mission's report and has been instructed to return to Dhaka immediately.

Simultaneously, the employment of Mizan, a former Commerce Ministry staff member appointed during the Awami League period, has been terminated.  

Moreover, nearly all the alleged perpetrators involved in the harassment, including Switzerland Awami League President Nazrul Islam Jamadar, General Secretary Shyamal Khan, and Khalilur Rahman, convenor of the Switzerland chapter of the Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee, have been identified.  

The Ministry has confirmed that legal proceedings are underway against the individuals involved.  

Sources from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs disclosed that, following the harassment incident involving Asif Nazrul, an urgent circular has been issued to all Bangladeshi missions abroad.

The circular emphasises two critical directives: ensuring proper protocol and security for significant government figures during overseas visits, and the utmost efforts by ambassadors and mission officials to prevent any untoward situations.

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