Ex-Bangla minister's family to decide on his deportation

The family of Salahuddin Ahmed, a former Bangladesh minister held here on charges of illegally entering India, is yet to decide on whether they would demand his deportation to Bangladesh or he would face trial in India, a Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) official said on Friday.

Ahmed, former communications minister during the government of BNP leader Khaleda Zia from 2001 to 2006, was arrested on May 11 from Golf Link area.

"It all depends on his family members now to take a decision if Ahmed should be deported to Bangladesh," BNP joint office secretary Md. Abdul Latif Jony told journalists after a brief meeting with Ahmed at the under trial prisoner cell in Shillong Civil Hospital.

Meghalaya Police have booked BNP spokesman Ahmed, who is now undergoing treatment at Shillong Civil hospital, under Section 14 of the Foreigners Act.

He, however, had no documents in his possession to prove his identity and citizenship.

Informing that Ahmed's wife Hasina would arrive in Shillong in a day or two, Jony said she would be deciding on whether to appoint a legal counsel to fight for the release of her husband.

"We have not approached anyone (legal counsel), but once his wife is here, she would take a decision in consultation with our party leaders," he said.

Ahmed has claimed that he was kidnapped by unidentified people from Uttara area in Dhaka on the night of March 10.

Expressing concern on Ahmed's health condition, Jony said: "Ahmed has lost 15 kg of weight and suffering from heart and kidney problem. He told me that he is not satisfied with the treatment at the hospital and has not been able to get a proper sleep."

However, doctors treating Ahmed said his health was very much satisfactory.

"Nonetheless, we are conducting some more tests after he complaint of heart and kidney problems, but some of the earlier tests were very much satisfactory," Shillong Civil Hospital cardiologist D.J. Goswami told IANS.

Meanwhile, Meghalaya Police chief Rajiv Mehta said police have received an Interpol notice for the arrest of Ahmed, but the nodal agency for Interpol in India - Central Bureau of Investigation - has not formally filed a charge sheet.

"There has been no charge sheet, but CBI has said that an Interpol notice has been issued against Ahmed and we are looking into the case," Mehta said.