The Anti-Corruption Commission on Thursday imposed a ban on foreign travel by ruling Awami League lawmaker Mouazzam Hossain Ratan for his alleged involvement in money laundering.
Commission director Sayed Iqbal Hossain has sent a letter to the special branch of police asking them to inform all kinds of port authorities of the country to stop the exit of Sunamganj-1 MP Mouazzam from the country.
The commission recently initiated an inquiry against the lawmaker after media reports that party colleagues raised allegation that Mouazzam was involved in different types of corruption including extortion and embezzlement, said ACC public relations officer Pranab Kumar Bhattacharjee.
He said that the ACC slapped the travel ban after its primary inquiry found evidence that the lawmaker was involved in money laundering and was trying to leave the country.
Earlier on Wednesday, the anti-graft body imposed a ban on foreign travel by 22 people, mostly leaders of ruling Awami League and its fronts, including members of parliament Nurunnabi Chowdhury and Shamsul Hoque Chowdhury.
These 22 people came under the ACC scanner after the agency recently launched inquiries following the government’s crackdown on illegal casinos and unlawful business activities.
Our court correspondent adds that a Dhaka court on Thursday sent Juba League leader Ismail Hossain Chowdhury Samrat to judicial custody after he had been placed before the court on completion of questioning him for 10 days in police custody.
He had two cases filed against him with the Ramna police station for keeping illegal arms and drugs.
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Baki Billah passed the order as police placed Samrat before the court and sought an order to keep him behind bars.
Samrat’s lawyer, however, pleaded for his bail. After hearing the two sides, the court sent him to jail rejecting the bail plea.
Rapid Action Battalion-1 DAD Abdul Khalek filed the cases against Samrat with the Ramna police station on October 7, making former Dhaka South city unit Juba League vice-president Enamul Haque Arman co-accused in the narcotics case.
The RAB on early October 6 arrested Samrat and his associate Arman from village Kunja Sreepur of Alkora union under Chauddagram upazila in Cumilla.
He was arrested amid a RAB crackdown on illegal casinos in the capital since September 18 and Samrat’s name surfaced as one of the kingpins of illegal casino business in the capital.
