- Friday, April 26, 2024
By: Keerthi Mohan
DAESH (Islamic State) bride Shamima Begum could be executed for supporting terrorism if she went to Bangladesh, the country’s foreign minister has said.
Abdul Momen said the 19-year-old could be arrested if she went to Bangladesh as the country imposes capital punishment for “anyone involved with terrorism.”
Speaking to ITV News, Momen said: “We have nothing to do with Shamima Begum. She is not a Bangladeshi citizen. She never applied for Bangladesh citizenship.
“If anyone is found to be involved with terrorism, we have a simple rule, there will be capital punishment. And nothing else.”
Momen said Bangladesh has “zero tolerance” for Daesh.
In February, British home secretary Sajid Javid stripped Begum of her citizenship for her involvement with Daesh. Such a move is not permitted under international law as it will leave the person stateless.
It was thought Begum had Bangladeshi citizenship through her mother. But Bangladesh has repeatedly insisted it has nothing to do with the 19-year-old, who fled Britain for Syria at the age of 15.
“She is not a Bangladeshi citizen and has never applied for Bangladeshi citizenship. She was born in England and her mother is British,” said Momen
Begum resurfaced in a refugee camp earlier this year and said she wanted to return to Britain.
“I had my kids, I did have a good time there. It’s just that then things got harder and I couldn’t take it any more and I had to leave,” said the teen.
