Malaysian home minister confirms arrest of ex Bangladeshi High Commissioner Khairuzzaman

Malaysian immigration police have arrested former Bangladesh high commissioner to Malaysia, M Khairuzzaman, who has been living there as a refugee for more than a decade.

"Khairuzzaman was arrested yesterday morning from his residence in Ampang area in Kuala Lumpur," a Bangladeshi expatriate in Malaysia confirmed to The Daily Star.

"We think he will be deported from Malaysia at the soonest," he said.

Malaysian Home Minister Hamzah Zainudin said he was aware of the arrest of the former diplomat, The Star reported.

"The arrest was made according to procedures," he said today (Feb 10).

On the grounds of the arrest, the minister said it was due to "an offence committed and a request by his home country," The Star report quoted the minister as saying.

Bangladesh High Commission could not be contacted immediately.

Following the detention, Khairuzzaman's lawyer served a legal notice to the Malaysian authorities demanding his immediate release.

The lawyer said Khairuzzaman was detained without any valid reason and if he was not released in 24 hours, the lawyer would file a habeas corpus in the court. Habeas corpus is used to bring a prisoner or detainee before the court to determine if the person's imprisonment or detention is lawful.

Mohamed Khairuzzaman, a retired army major, was accused in the 1975 jail killing case and was later acquitted. He was appointed high commissioner to Malaysia in 2007 during the then caretaker government.

After the Awami League-led government came to power in 2009, he was recalled to Dhaka. Assuming risks upon his return, Khairuzzaman obtained an UN refugee card in Kuala Lumpur and continued to stay there.