''Papul’s JS membership may be revoked if Kuwait citizenship proven''

Live Correspondent: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said parliamentary membership of independent lawmaker Md Shahidul Islam Papul, arrested in Kuwait in connection with human trafficking, will be revoked if his dual citizenship is proven.

" We’re talking to the Kuwaiti government to know whether he (Papul) is a Kuwaiti citizen or not…we’ll look into the matter. If he’s a citizen of Kuwait, then we’ve to vacant his seat as per the law,” she said. 

Sheikh Hasina also said the government has launched an investigation against him in Bangladesh. The Prime Minister came up with the remarks when BNP lawmaker Harunur Rashid raised the issue on point of order in parliament.

She said Papul is an independent MP and she did not give him nomination as he sought during the election. “We had given that seat to Jatiya Party. But the Jatiya Party candidate didn’t contest the election.”

The PM also said Shahid Islam won the election and somehow made his wife MP from a seat reserved for women. "But she’s not our nominated or elected MP."

Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Kuwait arrested Papul on June 6 in connection with cases related to human trafficking, residency visa trading and money laundering.

Then, the Public Prosecutor of Kuwait had approached the Central Bank to freeze the bank accounts of Mohammad Shahid Islam.

The financial balance of the company amounts to about 5 million Kiewit dinars, including 3 million dinars as company’s capital. On June 25, Papul was sent to central prison of the country.