A Bangladeshi migrant has won the right to remain in the United Kingdom after an immigration tribunal ruled that deporting him would likely result in his imprisonment for 20 years on politically motivated charges.
The man, identified in court documents as MM, appealed a Home Office decision seeking his removal from Britain. According to reporting cited by The Times of India, MM argued that he had been convicted in absentia in Bangladesh on false bomb-related charges connected to his political activities.
In testimony before the Upper Tribunal, MM said he had served as a “political leader” within Islami Chhatra Shibir, the student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami, an Islamist political party. He claimed that Bangladesh’s then-ruling Awami League government targeted him in 2015 while he was residing in Cyprus.
Court records confirmed that MM had been sentenced to 20 years in prison and that two arrest warrants remain outstanding. Judges accepted the authenticity of the documentation detailing the conviction and sentence.
The Home Office acknowledged that the charges may have lacked merit but argued that conditions in Bangladesh had changed significantly. In August 2024, former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League government were ousted following months of violent unrest. A United Nations report found that up to 1,400 people were killed during the uprising, most reportedly shot by security forces.
Government lawyers contended that the political shift reduced any risk MM might face if returned, suggesting that the departure of the Awami League diminished the likelihood of politically motivated detention.
Upper Tribunal Judge Madeleine Reeds disagreed. In her written decision, she stated that earlier findings established that MM’s conviction was politically driven rather than based on legitimate criminal conduct. Reeds also noted that Awami League supporters and officials continue to hold positions within government institutions and law enforcement agencies, raising concerns about lingering political influence.
The judge found that Bangladesh remains politically unstable as authorities review cases from the previous regime. She concluded there was a “reasonable likelihood” that MM would be detained upon return and that his 20-year sentence remains legally in force. Reeds further determined that MM would face a real risk of being denied bail despite the apparent political context of his conviction.
On that basis, the tribunal allowed MM’s appeal, permitting him to remain in the United Kingdom under protection.
