A DUBLIN refugee who fled Islamic radicals has expressed his joy after being granted reunification with his family.
“I’m so happy and thankful,” said a delighted Giasuddin Fazlu (51), who fled to Ireland in September 2007 after surviving two bomb blasts in Bangladesh, where he was targeted due to his work with western charities.
His wife and three teenage children had been stuck “in a safe house” while they awaited word from the Department of Justice on whether they could join him here.
But last Friday, a letter from the department arrived at Fazlu’s home in Santry, informing him that his wife Samina, sons Aktheru Zzaman Rocky (18), Asaduzzman Jacky (16), and daughter Junnatul Niger Sultana Prity (13) are now permitted to come to Ireland.
The Bangladeshi man, whose “coherent” and “plausible” testimony convinced the Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner (ORAC) that he was a genuine refugee, had applied for family reunification last October – but faced a 24-month waiting period.
However, it is understood that Fazlu’s poor health, as outlined to the department by a consultant at Dublin’s Beau-mont Hospital, as well as media coverage in Metro Éireann and other publications, may have speeded up his application.
The activist – who plans to resume his charitable work in Ireland – now faces the dilemma of coming up with around €5,000 for his family’s travel and visa expenses.
