Kuwait Judicial authority has denied the bail petition of Bangladesh lawmaker Mohammad Shahid Islam, widely known as Kazi Papul, and sent him to jail.
He is a member of parliament from Lakshmipur-2 constituency.
A senior assistant secretary of Bangladesh Embassy in Kuwait, unwilling to be named, confirmed the matter.
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Kuwait arrested him on charges of human trafficking and money laundering on Sunday.
Later on Sunday afternoon, he was sent to the public prosecution department of the country.
Bangladesh Ambassador in Kuwait SM Abul Kalam said: "I have heard the news this morning that CID arrested him, but I am yet to get any official confirmation."
"There are some reports of human trafficking allegations against him [Shahid Islam]," the ambassador added.
According to sources, after the coronavirus outbreak in Kuwait, the intelligence agencies arrested more than 100 people of different countries for their involvement in human trafficking and money laundering. The name of Shahid Islam was also in that list as he has some big businesses in Kuwait.
The lawmaker has been staying in Kuwait since late March, according to sources.
In February, different media outlets reported on allegations against Shahid for human trafficking to Kuwait.
According to media reports in Kuwait, security authorities in the country were looking for a Bangladeshi parliamentarian who was allegedly involved in illegal visa trading.
The parliamentarian is believed to have gifted five expensive cars to senior government officials in Kuwait to get government contracts for the company he runs there, the reports said.
Al-Qabas, a daily which quoted the Ministry of Interior of Kuwait, reported that an unidentified Bangladeshi was arrested in February based on allegations of money laundering and human trafficking.
He is said to be a member of a three-member gang while the other two fled the country sensing impending trouble.
The trio allegedly occupied sensitive positions in three major companies that brought more than 20,000 Bangladeshi menial workers to Kuwait in exchange for large sums of money believed to be more than 50 million dinars.
The unidentified Bangladeshi disclosed the name of a Bangladeshi lawmaker during interrogation, the daily reported.
Meanwhile, Papul's wife Selina Islam, who is also a parliament member from a reserved seat, denied the matter earlier said that a vested group is spreading rumour on his arrest.
"The media reports about the arrest of Kazi Shahid Islam Papul in Kuwait are not correct. He is not accused in any case there. The Kuwaiti government has summoned him to a government office or the CID to discuss his business as per their rules," Selina said.
