Bangladeshi worker Rayhan on another 13-day remand

A Malaysian court has placed Mohamad Rayhan Kabir, the Bangladeshi migrant worker in Malaysia who gave an interview critical of the government in the Al Jazeera documentary, on a 13-day fresh remand. 

Raihan will be remanded till August 19.

Raihan's lawyer Sumita Shantini Krishna told to Brac migration programme, "The court granted him the remand after police produced him before the court on Thursday morning and asked for a 14-day remand." 

"Raihan said as before that he had said what he saw. It was not his intention to harm anyone in Malaysia. Police could not bring any charges against Raihan yet," said the lawyer. 

"We were present at the court as we knew from Wednesday night that police would ask for remand again. However, no representative of Bangladesh High Commission was present in the court," she said. 

Earlier on July 26, Rayhan was placed on 14 days to assist in an investigation by the Malaysian authorities.

On August 5, Malaysian authorities said they will deport Rayhan Kabir on August 31. Country's Director-General of Immigration Datuk Indera Khairul Dzaimee Daud said, "The earliest flight to Bangladesh would be on August 31 and Rayhan could be boarding that plane." 

Rayhan Kabir was arrested on July 24 following a two-week manhunt, after the Immigration Department issued a wanted notice against him. In addition to having his work permit revoked and the impending deportation, he has been blacklisted from ever entering Malaysia again.

On July 3, 2020, Al Jazeera released the documentary, "Locked Up in Malaysia's Lockdown" that documented the mistreatment of migrant workers by Malaysian authorities under the movement control order implemented to respond to Covid-19.