A Dhaka court on Tuesday imposed a travel ban on 14 individuals including, former Road, Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader over corruption charges.
Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Md Sabbir Faiz passed the order, allowing a plea of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
The ACC petition said a case has been filed against Obaidul Quader and 13 others over allegations that they colluded with one another during a meeting of the Bangladesh Bridge Authority, violating relevant laws and regulations.
According to the petition, the accused abused the authority vested in them with dishonest intent and fraudulently approved a project to construct flats on land of government interest for personal benefit and to favour others.
The other people, who have been barred from leaving the country, are- former Senior Secretary of the Bridges Division Khondaker Anwarul Islam, former Secretary of the Road Transport and Highways Division Nazrul Islam, former Secretary of the Public Security Division Kamal Uddin Ahmed, former Power Secretary Dr Ahmed Kaikaus, former Secretary of the Ministry of Land Abdul Jalil, former Secretary of the Ministry of Water Resources Dr Zafar Ahmed Khan, former Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) and current Chairman of Sonali Bank Dr Mohammad Muslim Chowdhury, former Senior Secretary of the Parliamentary Affairs Division Mohammad Shahidul Haque, former Principal Coordinator of the Prime Minister’s Office Zuena Aziz, former Secretary of the Ministry of Railways Mofazzel Hossain, former Senior Secretary of the Economic Relations Division (ERD) Kazi Shafiqul Azam, former Secretary of the Ministry of Defence Akhtar Hossain Bhuiyan, and former Secretary of the Energy and Mineral Resources Division and former Chairman of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) Dr Abu Hena Md Rahmatul Muneem.
The allegations also state that they formulated and approved a flat allocation policy in violation of existing rules and allocated flats under that policy without publishing it through a gazette notification.
The case is currently under investigation, and the ACC said it has learned that the accused, along with their family members, are attempting to leave the country. The commission warned that if they manage to flee abroad, the investigation could be seriously hampered.
