1620344 (Refugee)

The Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) considered the case of an applicant seeking a protection visa. The applicant claimed to have a political profile in Bangladesh as a member of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and alleged he was targeted by the ruling Awami League (AL) and faced a criminal charge, leading him to fear serious harm or death upon return. The Tribunal was required to determine whether there was a real chance the applicant would suffer serious harm if returned to Bangladesh due to his political opinion, or alternatively, whether there were substantial grounds for believing he faced a real risk of significant harm as a necessary and foreseeable consequence of removal.

The Tribunal affirmed the decision under review, concluding that the applicant had not established a real chance of suffering serious harm or significant harm upon return to Bangladesh. While acknowledging the applicant's membership in the BNP and the general political climate of polarisation and violence in Bangladesh, the Tribunal found significant credibility concerns regarding the applicant's claims. Specifically, the Tribunal noted a lack of knowledge about basic principles of the BNP, which undermined his assertion of active political involvement. Furthermore, the Tribunal considered evidence of a pending criminal charge, but found that the applicant was able to depart Bangladesh and that his claims of being actively sought by authorities were not sufficiently substantiated. The Tribunal also took into account country information regarding the risks faced by opposition party members, but ultimately found that the applicant's specific circumstances did not meet the threshold for protection.