Libyan embassy refutes media allegations

The Libyan embassy in Dhaka yesterday refuted allegations reported by three news agencies recently that it had forged visas and its chargé d'affaires had fled to Malaysia with Tk 100 crore realised in the excuse of providing visas.
At a press conference in the capital's Hotel Lakeshore, the chargé d'affaires, Kamel Al Mahjub, expressed dismay at Bangladesh foreign ministry's inaction against the media outlets.
The news run by a private television channel on June 22 and two newspapers were “totally false and a propaganda of a certain plotting group”, he said.
He demanded an apology from the news organisations. “Otherwise, we will take proper legal action,” he said.
The channel's news report had also stated that nearly 6,000 visa applications were pending with Kamel.
In late May, 200 Bangladeshi workers were deported by the Libyan immigration authorities, citing that they had fake visas. However, Bangladesh's Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training stated that the embassy had verified the visas.
Libyan Herald, quoting the Libyan foreign ministry on June 30, reported that investigators would come to Dhaka soon to look into the allegations.
On Bangladesh's expatriates' welfare minister's statement in the June 22 news that the embassy issued fake visas, he said, “I wonder and fail to understand how a very responsible man like him could say (something) like that. No embassy can issue fake visas.”
Kamel expected Bangladesh to play its due role in stopping unwanted practices and take up the job opportunities being created for the rehabilitation, construction and development works in Libya.