Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge’s Court on Monday issued an international travel ban on the ousted Awami League government’s 26 ministers, state ministers, and lawmakers who were facing allegations of amassing illegal wealth and money laundering.
Besides, the Anti-Corruption Commission initiated an inquiry against former AL lawmaker Shafiqul Islam Shimul of Natore-2 constituency for the allegations of corruption and money laundering.
Judge Mohammed Ash-Shams Joglul Hossain of Dhaka Senior Special Judge’s Court issued the travel ban on the 26 former ministers and lawmakers in response to two separate petitions submitted by anti-corruption commission deputy directors Mostafizur Rahman and Jahangir Alam, said the commission’s court inspector Amir Hossain.
Of those facing the travel ban, nine are former ministers— Hasan Mahmud of foreign affairs; Imran Ahmed of expatriates’ welfare and overseas employment; Tipu Munshi of commerce; Anisul Huq of law; Tazul Islam of local government, rural development, and cooperatives; Faridul Haque Khan of religious affairs; Hasanul Haque Inu of information; Golam Dastgir Gazi of textiles and jute; and Anwar Hossain Manju of environment, forest and climate change.
Nine former state ministers facing the travel ban are—Zunaid Ahmed Palak of posts, telecommunications and information technology; Nasrul Hamid of power, energy and mineral resources; Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury of shipping; Md Zakir Hossain of primary and mass education; Meher Afroze Chumki of women and children affairs; Swapan Bhattacharjee of local government and rural development; Enamur Rahman of relief and disaster; Zahid Ahsan Russell of youth and sports; and Mohibbur Rahman of disaster management and relief.
Eight former lawmakers facing the ban are Abu Sayeed Al Mahmood Swapon (Joypurhat-2); Sheikh Helal Uddin (Bagerhat-1); AKM Sorwar Jahan (Kushtia-1); SK Afil Uddin (Jossere-1); Enamul Haque (Rajshahi-4); Benazir Ahmed (Dhaka-20); Kazi Nabil Ahmed (Jossere-3); and Shahidul Islam Bakul (Natore-1).
Anti-Corruption Commission officials in the petitions mentioned that inquiries were currently underway into allegations of amassing massive amounts of money through illegal means during their tenure as ministers and lawmakers.
The former ministers and lawmakers who are facing graft allegations might escape from the country and to prevent that travel ban is necessary, according to the petitions.
Earlier on August 29, the court also issued a travel ban on 14 former ministers and lawmakers of the ousted Awami League government in connection with allegations of acquisition of illegal wealth.
The anti-corruption agency has also initiated a separate inquiry against former lawmaker Shafiqul Islam Shimul from Natore-2 over allegations of embezzling government funds, money laundering, and purchasing property in Canada. He also faces allegations of amassing wealth beyond known sources of income, both in his name and in the names of his family members.
On August 15, the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit instructed all banks to freeze the accounts of Shafiqul Islam Shimul, his wife Shamima Sultana Jannati and other family members, including his sons, daughters and parents, for 30 days.
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