A court in Dhaka on Tuesday barred Emma Claire Burton, wife of former education minister and former Chattogram-9 lawmaker Mohibul Hasan Chowdhoury Nowfel, from leaving the country in connection with a corruption case.
Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Shahjahan Kabir passed the order following an application filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
ACC Assistant Director Afnan Jannat Keya filed the application, saying Burton is facing a case over allegedly acquiring assets worth Tk84.35 lakh that were disproportionate to her known sources of income and failing to submit a statement of assets within the stipulated time.
The case was filed under Sections 26(2) and 27(1) of the Anti-Corruption Commission Act, 2004. The investigation is currently underway, according to the ACC.
In its application, the ACC said Burton was attempting to leave the country secretly.
If she left Bangladesh, it could hamper the collection of important documents and disrupt the investigation, the commission said, seeking the travel ban in the interest of a proper investigation.
According to the ACC, its inquiry found that Burton had assets worth Tk 84,35,128 that were inconsistent with her known income.
The commission subsequently served her a notice asking her to submit a statement of assets in the prescribed format. The ACC said she failed to submit the statement within the stipulated deadline, prompting it to file the case.
On 4 June 2025, the ACC had announced its decision to file a case against Burton for allegedly failing to submit her asset declaration within the specified period.
The ACC had earlier filed a case against Nowfel in December 2024 over allegations of acquiring assets beyond his known sources of income. According to the commission, it found unexplained assets worth Tk2.94 crore in Nowfel’s name.
The ACC also said it had found more than Tk1,138.9 crore in deposits and over Tk973 crore in withdrawals through 41 bank accounts held in Nowfel’s name and in the name of his institution.
The allegations remain subject to investigation and judicial proceedings.
