The ruling Awami League has hailed India’s move to send back UL parliamentarian Lord Alexander Carlile from the Delhi airport soon after the top British lawyer's flight landed from London late on Wednesday.
Carlile, who is a legal consultant for BNP chief Khaleda Zia, was reported to have travelled to address the media on how the Bangladesh government used politically motivated false charges in an effort to shut Khaleda out of the next general election.
The Indian foreign ministry said Lord Carlile was refused entry due to an inappropriate visa.
"Lord Alexander Carlile, a British national, arrived in New Delhi on July 11, 2018 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," reads the official spokesperson's response posted on the ministry's website.
"It was therefore decided to deny him entry into India upon arrival," it said.
The decision went down well with the ruling Awami League as senior party leaders said Carlile had tried to enter Bangladesh through an inappropriately obtained visa.
The Bangladesh foreign ministry back-channelled with their Indian counterpart over the issue, according to sources in the Awami League.
According to foreign office sources, they informed Delhi that Carlile will try to enter India with an inappropriate visa after failing to enter Bangladesh.
Dhaka told Delhi that Carlile was denied visa as Bangladeshi laws do not allow a foreign lawyer to advise its client in the country without a licence or certification from the Bar Council.
“Lord Carilie’s intended activities in India did not match his purpose of visit. So, he was turned back from the Delhi airport. We hail the Indian government’s decision,” said Awami League Presidium Member Abdur Razzaq told Bangla Tribune.
Joint General Secretary Abdur Rahman echoed.
Lord Carlile’s intention was ‘plotting a conspiracy’, according to AL Organising Secretary Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury.
“Bangladesh does not allow its territory to be used for any conspiracies against others, India did the same,” he told Bangla Tribune.
