MA Quayum, former president of Dhaka North City Unit of BNP, is now detained in a jail of Malaysia.

Influential Quayum wanted in a big number of criminal cases, including the murder of Italian citizen Tavella Caesar, ran political activities in Bangladesh from the foreign country.

After his arrest in Malaysia recently, various questions arise over the issue of the much-talked about the leader Quayum, also the microfinance affairs secretary of the BNP central committee.

The arising questions include which visa he has been in the foreign country for a long and if he involving in different trades has the second home there.

The questions are whether he has been there in political shelter. How has he got the refugee status of the UNHCR even after having passport?

Question arises whether he has obtained the status through fraudulence and if he can be brought back home.

This correspondent talked to many to get the answers of the questions. Quayum, also former commissioner of a ward at Dhaka City Corporation (DCC), was arrested on January 12 and taken to Ampang Police Station. After that, he remained arrested.

Shamim Ara, the wife of the leader, said that after Juma prayers, her husband was standing in front of their residence on the day of his arrest.

At that time, he was arrested. After that, it was informed that he was held for standing in Malaysia illegally as his passport was canceled by the Bangladesh government.

Quayum has been living in the foreign country since 2015 as he has second home there. At the same time, he has been living as the UNHCR listed refugee. Many leaders and activists of the BNP said that the leader was very active in carrying out anti-government movements when he was in Bangladesh. He is wanted in about 50 cases lodged for different allegations, including torching vehicles.

He was mostly discussed after Tavella was killed in Gulshan. In 2015, the last stage of the case investigation, he was alleged to have been the mastermind of the murder.
However, Quayum from Malaysia visited different countries using the Bangladeshi passport.

He engaged in different conspiracies against the government. In November last year, his Bangladeshi passport was cancelled. On the other hand, on January 18, the higher court of Malaysia gave a stay over on the deportation of the leader to Bangladesh.

Sevan Doraisami, the lawyer of Quayum, said that the leader was arrested on the political revenge.

“He has been living in the country under the second home programme since 2015 and he is the listed refugee of the UN,” the lawyer said.

The lawyer said that a joint team of National Security Intelligence and Malaysia Police arrested the leader from his residence at Ampang.

Former ambassador M Humayun Kabir said that question arises how he has obtained refugee status even after having passport.
It seems he took the path of fraudulence, said the ex-ambassador.

Eng Badlur Rahman Badal, the president of Malaysia Unit of BNP, said that Quayum was arrested due to political revenge.
“It is nothing but harassment. The Malaysia court stayed the deportation of the leader. He has a card of refugee.”

On the cancellation of the passport, he said that he was unaware how the Bangladesh government did so. In response to a question how Quayum has been living in the foreign country, not to be named a BNP leader said that he could not say by which visa Quayum is living in the country. But the arrested BNP leader does trades in the foreign country, he said, adding that Quayum has second home there, along with the refugee card.

Quayum does not live in the country under political shelter as there is no such scope there.

Nazrul Islam, Bangladesh ambassador in Qatar, said that there is no chance in living in Malaysia under political shelter.
Maybe, he has been living in the country in any other way, said the ambassador.

Who is the BNP leader Quayum?
He was a commissioner of a ward at Gulshan-Badda when BNP leader Sadek Hossain Khoka was the mayor of the DCC. He joined in politics through late BNP leader and former mayor Abdus Salam Talukder.

In 2008, he was an MP candidate nominated by the BNP from Gulshan-Badda constituency.

It was known that during the BNP regime, he made a house in Myanmar under the second home programme. Apart from real estate business, he has owned huge wealth.
Before creating unstable situation, he came to Malaysia from where he was carrying out political activities in Bangladesh.
On April 18, 2017, Quayum was made convener of the Dhaka City North Unit of BNP while Ahsan Ullah Hasan was made the member secretary.

Different allegations, including grabbing land, was raised against Quayum after the BNP voted to power in 2001.

After being elected as a commissioner of a DCC ward, his influential began to rise. Later, with the help of an Awami League leader, he established Swadesh Properties.

In the 11th parliamentary poll, Shamim Ara, the wife of Quayum, was nominated by the BNP to vie in the race, but could not be victorious.

She is the chairman of an apparel factory named Navid Ul Wears.