Court issues travel ban on 14 former AL ministers, MPs

A Dhaka court today issued a travel ban on 14 former Awami League ministers and lawmakers in connection with corruption allegations brought against them.

The others are former social welfare minister Dipu Moni, former health minister Zahid Maleque, former education minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury, former food minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder, former industrial minister Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun, former industrial deputy minister Kamal Ahmed Majumder, and former lawmakers Salim Uddin, Mamunur Rashid Kiron, Kujendra Lal Tripura, Kajim Uddin, Noor-E-Alam Chowdhury Liton, Shahjahan Khan, Kamrul Islam and Ziaur Rahman.

Judge Mohammed Ash-Shams Joglul Hossain of the Metropolitan Senior Special Judge's Court in Dhaka passed the order after Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Deputy Director Abu Hena Ashiqur Rahman, who is also conducting the investigation, submitted an application.

ACC Public Prosecutor Mahmud Hossain Jahangir moved the petition on behalf of the ACC.

In the application, Jahangir said the former ministers and lawmakers, who have graft allegations against their names, were trying to flee the country. So, a travel ban is needed to prevent them from leaving the country.

The ACC informed the court that an investigation is underway into the allegations that they all amassed huge amounts of money through illegal means during their tenure.

The judge sent a copy of the order to the special superintendent of police (Immigration) of the Special Branch for the next course of action.