Diplomat Shahedul Islam in New York released on bail

Shahedul Islam, Deputy Consul General in New York, was released on bail from jail Tuesday, a day after a US court indicted him on charges of labour trafficking and forcing his servant to work without pay, reports BSS.

He was released at 8:20pm (Eastern Time) (June 13) from Vermon C Bain Correctional Center, Bronx, New York, a foreign ministry spokesperson said quoting consul general at the Consulate General of Bangladesh in New York this morning.

He said the release follows sincere effort by the Embassy of Bangladesh in Washington D.C. and Consulate General in New York under the direct supervision of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dhaka.

The Bangladeshi diplomat was arrested on June 12 (Monday), by the local authorities following the allegation by his former domestic aide.

Meanwhile, Dhaka yesterday expressed serious dissatisfaction over the detention of Shahedul Islam by summoning the acting US envoy at the ministry of foreign affairs and sought an explanation.

In a protest note to the Chargé d` affaires of the United States Embassy in Dhaka, the ministry said that the arrest is a “clear violation of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations 1963”.

The note made it clear that the domestic aide went missing about 13 months earlier from Islam’s residence and the matter was immediately reported to the Department of State by the Bangladesh Consulate General in New York and also by the Bangladesh Embassy in Washington D.C. on May 18 and 19, 2016 respectively.

“However, no update had been received on this matter from the Department of State before the arrest of Islam,” the note said.

It said the Bangladesh Embassy in Washington D.C. is also in contact with the Department of State for earliest resolution of this issue and hoped that Bangladesh’s concerns will be duly addressed.

“We will continue to monitor the situation and will extend assistance and cooperation as and when necessary,” the note added.