Journalist Golam Sarwar barred from travelling to Dubai
Golam Sarwar, a journalist from Chattogram who had been living in Dubai since 2021 after facing threats and lawsuits, was barred from boarding a flight to Dubai at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on Friday night (December 13).
Sarwar, who relocated to Dubai following alleged kidnapping and torture in 2020 over a report about the younger brother of former Land Minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury Javed, had returned to Bangladesh in June 2024 for emergency surgery.
On Friday night (13 December), Sarwar was removed from a Bangladesh Biman flight (BG 247) while attempting to return to Dubai.
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Authorities cited overstaying as the reason, but Sarwar said his 180-day entry period for Dubai had not yet expired and all his immigration documents were valid.
Speaking to The Business Standard, he said, "When I was standing in the queue to board the flight, an immigration police officer called me aside and asked me to sit. I was not allowed to speak to anyone for two hours until the flight departed. When I reported the matter to the officer-in-charge (OC) of immigration police, the officer who stopped me left, and the OC said he had no authority to intervene."
Sarwar added, "The 180-day period expires today. To re-enter Dubai, I will now need special permission from the UAE government, which will require a significant amount of money."
After being informed of the situation, Asif Nazrul, adviser to the Ministry of Law, contacted Sarwar, assuring him that he would investigate the issue.
When reached for comment, the Additional Superintendent of Immigration Police at Shahjalal International Airport, Sharmin Akter Asha, said, "I am not aware of the matter. I will need to verify the details before making any comments."
