A Bangladeshi national convicted of plotting to bomb the London Stock Exchange has been allowed to remain in the UK despite a failed asylum claim, a court ruling has revealed. The development has emerged from animmigration judgementconcerning his wife and has raised questions abouthuman rights law in terrorism cases.
Shah Rahman was one of four al-Qaeda-inspired extremists convicted in 2012 for the plot targeting London's financial centre. The group planned bombings inspired by al-Qaeda material.
The extremists met through radical groups and were stopped by anti-terror police. Their scheme aimed to strike the City of London, with the London Stock Exchange a key target.
Police found a handwritten list of targets including the London Stock Exchange, the US embassy, two rabbis and Boris Johnson. The plot was foiled by undercover officers. Rahman pleaded guilty to preparing acts of terrorism and was jailed.
The target list led to arrests and the plot was dismantled without any devices being assembled. All four wereconvicted in 2012, underscoring the threat of home-grown extremism. Rahman was released on licence several years later.
In 2017, Rahman applied for asylum. The claim was rejected under the Refugee Convention due to his terrorism conviction. He was granted restricted leave to remain instead, as deportation to Bangladesh would breach Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which prohibits torture or inhuman or degrading treatment.
The judgement states: 'He was granted restricted leave to remain in the United Kingdom on the basis that he could not be removed to Bangladesh without breach of his rights under Article 3 of the Human Rights Convention.'
This absolute provision has featured in other deportation cases involving foreign national offenders.Social mediacaptured the reaction, with one post stating: 'London Stock Exchange bomb plotter was allowed to stay in UK! A terrorist denied asylum was granted leave to remain in Britain on human rights grounds, a court ruling reveals.'
London Stock Exchange bomb plotter was allowed to stay in UK!A terrorist denied asylum was granted leave to remain in Britain on human rights grounds, a court ruling reveals.Shah Rahman, a convicted terrorist who was jailed for threatening to blow up the London Stock…pic.twitter.com/hbGIbiJSJZ
The ruling comes from proceedings about Rahman's wife, Parveen Purbhoo, a Mauritian national. They married in an Islamic ceremony in east London in June 2019. Purbhoo was stopped at Heathrow in 2021 with jihadist material on her phone.
Source: International Business Times UK
