18 former ministers among 26 slapped with travel ban

A Dhaka court has issued travel ban on 26 people, including 18 former ministers and state ministers, over the corruption allegations surfaced against them.
Judge Mohammed Ash-Shams Joglul Hossain of the Metropolitan Senior Special Judge’s Court of Dhaka yesterday passed the orders after Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Deputy Directors Mostafizur Rahman and Jahangir Alam, the heads of the two inquiry teams, submitted two separate applications in this regard, said an ACC official working in the court.
Of the 26, nine former ministers are 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; Anwar Hossain Manju of environment, forest and climate Change.
The nine former state ministers 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 of women and children affairs; Swapan Bhattacharjee of local Government, rural development and cooperatives; Enamur Rahman of relief and disaster; Zahid Ahsan Russell of youth and sports; and Mohibbur Rahman of disaster management and relief.
Eight others are former lawmakers Abu Sayeed Al Mahmood Swapon, SK Helal Uddin, AKM Sorwar Jahan, SK Afil Uddin, Enamul Haque, Benazir Ahmed, Kazi Nabil Ahmed and Shahidul Islam Bakul.
The ACC applications said, “The 26 former ministers and lawmakers can flee the country. So, a travel ban is needed to prevent them from leaving the country.”
The commission informed the court that an inquiry is currently underway into allegations that all of them amassed huge amount of money through illegal means during their tenure.