KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 18 — The High Court here today granted an application by a Bangladeshi opposition politician to delay his deportation pending the disposal of his habeas corpus application for alleged wrongful detention.

Judge K. Muniandy allowed the application by M.A Quayum, 61, made through his lawyer Kee Shu Min, after federal attorney Mohamad Firdaus Sadina Ali, representing the four respondents, namely the Inspector-General of Police, Immigration director-general, Home Minister and the Malaysian government, did not object to it.

"The court allowed the application (postpone deportation) and set April 5 to hear the habeas corpus application,” said Judge Muniandy.

The politician, who is from the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), filed the habeas corpus application last Monday (January 15) seeking his release and to stay his deportation pending a decision on the (habeas corpus) application.

In a supporting affidavit, Quayum’s daughter said her father, who has been living in Malaysia for the past 15 years, holds a passport and is a Malaysian Second Home Programme (MM2H) visa holder, was detained at the Ampang Jaya District Police Headquarters on January 12.

She claimed that the arrest was aimed at forcibly sending his father back to Bangladesh immediately without conforming to any laws, including the Extradition Act.

She also claimed that his father’s safety would be threatened and he would face political persecution if sent back to Bangladesh. — Bernama