Special Correspondent, Dhaka: Former MP Golam Faruque Ovi has sought a travel permit from the Bangladesh High Commission in Ottawa to return home in December after spending more than two decades in Canada.
However, instead of issuing this permit, his application was sent from the High Commision to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Dhaka.
This information has been confirmed by a source close to Ovi. The source has said that if Ovi is able to return home, he is likely to participate as an independent candidate from the Barisal-2 constituency in the 13th National Parliamentary Elections to be held in February.
Being the youngest member of the 7th Parliament, Ovi was very vocal about the rights of religious minorities and indigenous peoples during his tenure.
His advocacy and ability to secure funding for the transportation and infrastructure development on behalf of and in his constituency was highly praised.
After Ovi was defeated in the 8th Parliamentary Elections in 2001, several politically motivated cases were filed against him.
In addition, 6 years after the unnatural death of model Tinni in November 2002, a chargesheet was submitted against Ovi in the case on November 8, 2008.
Although a suicide case was initially registered at the Keraniganj Police Station, Ovi’s name was not in the FIR .
On January 14, 2025 Judge Mst. Shahinur Akter acquitted Golam Faruque Ovi of all charges in the case.
In the observation of the judgement, the judge stated that the provided evidence indicated that the unnatural death of Tinni was in fact a suicide.