Murad denied Canada entry

Disgraced former state minister Murad Hassan on Friday was denied entry to Canada, where he was headed to after stepping down from his post last week.

Canada Border Services Agency did not make any official statement on the incident.

Neither did the agency make public its reasons for putting Hasan back on the Emirates Airlines aircraft on which he landed in Toronto Pearson International Airport at 1:31pm Eastern Standard Time on Friday.

Emirates's only outbound flight from Toronto is to Dubai, shows the airline's website.

Expatriate Bangladeshis in Canada, as well as the Toronto-based Bangla news portals, reported the CBSA denied Hasan, a former state minister for information and broadcasting, entry after receiving an overwhelming volume of objections against him.

Hasan was "escaping Bangladesh and coming to Canada with criminal charges", the expatriate Bangladeshis wrote in their e-mails to the CBSA. He made derogatory, sexist and misogynist comments against some females in Bangladesh and he threatened an actress of violating her.

"The Prime Minister of Bangladesh forced him to resign and after resigning, he is on his way to Canada. We believe, Canada should not be a place for potential rapists and criminals! He is travelling with government official passport, but he may not leave the country once he gets in," said one of the e-mails seen by The Daily Star.

At least 170 complaints on more or less the same grounds were lodged with the CBSA, according to the non-resident Bangladeshis in Canada.

"We do not want Canada to allow in Bangladeshi looters, rapists, violators of women rights, anti-socials, killers and others," said Monjure Khoda Torik, one of the organisers of Luthera Birodhi Mancha.

Two Toronto-based Bangla news portals –– notundesh.com and thebengalitimes.com –– reported that Hasan was quizzed by CBSA officials upon arrival in Canada; he was asked about the recent developments surrounding him in Bangladesh.

Due to public outrage over his misogynistic remarks, the prime minister on December 6 directed Hasan to hand in his resignation. The next day, Hasan sent in his resignation to the prime minister and President Abdul Hamid.

Meanwhile, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan yesterday said the state is not offended by the remarks made by Hasan and will not file a case under the Digital Security Act on the matter.

"If someone is aggrieved, they have the right to sue. Why are you asking me? If you are aggrieved, you can sue," he said in response to queries from reporters after attending a programme at the National Press Club.

In an interview recently, Hasan made offensive comments on BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, acting chairman Tarique Rahman and his daughter Zaima Rahman.

He then got embroiled in another controversy when an audio clip of a phone call between him and actors Mamnun Hasan Emon and Mahiya Mahi was leaked. The clip went viral on social media.

In the phone call, Hasan was heard uttering obscenities to Mahi and coercing her to come to a city hotel where he was staying.

Mahi declined to, which prompted Hasan to threaten her to haul her to the hotel by members of the law enforcement and intelligence agencies. He even threatened to rape her.

On January 7, 2019, Hasan, a lawmaker from Jamalpur-4 constituency, was appointed the state minister for health. A few months later, he was transferred to the information ministry.

Jamalpur Awami League unit has relieved Hasan from his post as its health and population affairs secretary.