UK Court Allows Convicted Terror Plotter To Remain Despite Deportation Case

[Fatai Muiz]

A court ruling has revealed that Shah Rahman, a man previously jailed for planning a terrorist attack on the London Stock Exchange, has been allowed to stay in the United Kingdom. This decision was made even though his asylum application had been officially refused by immigration authorities.

Rahman, a Bangladeshi national, was convicted in 2012 alongside three others for preparing acts of terrorism linked to al-Qaeda ideology. Security agencies stopped the plot before it could be carried out against the financial district of London, preventing a major attack in the capital.

After completing part of his prison sentence and being released on licence, Rahman applied for asylum in 2017. However, his claim was rejected under the Refugee Convention because of his serious terrorism-related convictions, which normally disqualify applicants from protection.

Despite this, he was later granted restricted leave to remain in the UK. A court ruled that deporting him back to Bangladesh would breach Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which protects individuals from torture or inhuman and degrading treatment.

The case also came up during legal proceedings involving his wife, Parveen Purbhoo, a Mauritian citizen. She had challenged her exclusion from the UK after marrying Rahman in London in 2019 and initially receiving entry clearance approval.

However, her situation became complicated after immigration officers stopped her at Heathrow Airport in 2021. Authorities reportedly found jihadist-related images and videos on her phone, raising further concerns during her immigration case.

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