Corruption allegations: Travel bans on 3 ex-AL lawmakers, 4 others

A Dhaka court today issued travel bans on seven people, including three former Awami League lawmakers, in connection with corruption charges surfaced against them.
They are former railways minister and Awami League MP from Rajbari-2 Md Zillul Hakim, his wife Syeda Hakim and their son Ashik Mahmud Mitul; former Awami League lawmaker from Feni-2 Md Nizam Uddin Hazari and his wife Nurjahan Begum; former AL lawmaker from Bogura-5 Md Habibur Rahman and his son Mohammad Asif Iqbal.
Judge Mohammed Ash-Shams Joglul Hossain of the Metropolitan Senior Special Judge’s Court in Dhaka passed the orders after the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Deputy Director Md Nurul Huda, Assistant Director Mohammad Zinnatul Islam and Deputy Assistant Director KM Asaduzzaman, who are the heads of the enquiry teams, submitted three separate applications in this regard.
ACC Public Prosecutor Mahmud Hossain Jahangir moved the applications on behalf of the anti-graft body.
In the application, Zinnatul Islam said Zillul, his wife and their son amassed a huge amount of money through illegal means and abuse of power.
ACC Deputy Director Mohammad Nurul Huda said that Nizam Hazari and his wife had also accumulated a large sum of money through illicit means and abuse of power.
“The application also mentioned that there are credible reports suggesting the accused might attempt to flee the country. So, a travel ban is needed to prevent them from going abroad,” said the ACC official.
In a separate application, ACC official KM Asaduzzaman said Habibur and his son had acquired significant wealth through illegal means, involvement in terrorist activities, tender manipulation, abuse of power, and corruption.
Moreover, they all are currently under investigation for allegations of abuse of power, various irregularities, corruption involving the acquisition of hundreds of crores in their names and the names of their family members.
The judge also ordered the ACC to send the order sheets to the special superintendent of police (immigration) of the Special Branch for the next course of action.