Bangladesh’s Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen waded into the ongoing diplomatic tensions between India and Canada over the presence of Kahlistani extremists in the country. In an interview with India Today, Momen asserted that Canada must not be a hub of all murderers and should not provide them with a safe home. “Canada must not be a hub of all the murderers. The murderers can go to Canada and take shelter, and they can have a wonderful life while those they killed, their relatives are suffering,” the minister said.
Bangladesh foreign minister’s comment comes as India-Canada ties have come under severe strain following Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s allegations of “potential” involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June. India has rejected the allegations as “absurd” and “motivated” and expelled a senior Canadian diplomat in a tit-for-tat move to Ottawa’s expulsion of an Indian official over the case.
When asked about his take on the diplomatic row, Bangladesh’s foreign minister said he doesn’t “know the details of this issue between India and Canada but I know the issue we have with Canada.” He lamented how the killer of the founding father of Bangladesh, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman is staying in Canada. “…We have been requesting the Canadian government to send back self-confessed killer of Bangabandhu, the father of our nation. Unfortunately, Canada is not listening to us and they have come up with a variety of excuses,” he said in the India Today interview.
Asked about Canada’s reluctance to extradite the killers of “Bangabandhu”, the Bangladesh foreign minister said the problem with Canada is that they have one after another excuse, and “that’s what is not understandable.” “They have the law, but the law must not protect a killer murderer. The law must not protect these bad guys, but unfortunately, Canada is doing so,” he added.
On whether Canada is ignoring concerns regarding terrorism in the name of human rights, Momen pointed to the wider concern about the potential misuse of human rights in the immigration debate. “The concept of human rights is being abused by many people at many times. This is really unfortunate because this has become at times an excuse for some people to protect killers and murderers and terrorists. That should change,” he said. “And governments under the banner of human rights must not abuse this concept of human rights,” he added.
Expressing hope the Canadian government’s policy would change, Momen said “that one day the Canadian government will change that rule because now Canada is becoming a hub of all the murderers from across the nation.” “Canada is a lovely country. It’s a great country, but this particular law is affecting Canadian reputation. So, Canada should not allow killers, provide them a safe home in Canada,” he added.
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