Canada court brands BNP a terrorist organization again

The Canadian Federal Court has once again labeled Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) as a terrorist organization while dismissing the review of the refugee claim by one of its activists.

According to the court summary, BNP activist Md Mostofa Kamal in 2015 left Bangladesh and made a refugee claim in Canada. The refugee claim was suspended and he was ordered deported, reports bdnews24.com.

He sought judicial review which was dismissed in the first week of May. The final hearing took place on April 11 in Toronto, according to the court's website.

The minister of public safety and emergency preparedness on behalf of the Canadian government argued that there were reasonable grounds to believe that the applicant was a member of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party.

The minister also alleged that the BNP was an organization that engages in terrorism and engaged in, or instigated the subversion by force of the Bangladesh government as set out in rules of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.

The court ordered investigation which upheld the position of the minister, "finding reasonable grounds to believe both that the Applicant was a member of the BNP, and that the BNP engaged in terrorism and engaged in, or instigated the subversion by force of the Bangladesh government".

Earlier in February last year, the court rejected the application of another BNP man, Mohammad Jewel Hossain Gazi, for the status of permanent residence or PR as a protected person.

The Federal Court observed that there were reasonable grounds to believe that Gazi's organization engages, has engaged or will engage in acts of terrorism.