Court bans foreign travel for Obaidul Quader, 14 others

A court has imposed a travel ban on former road transport and bridges minister Obaidul Quader and 14 others following an application by the Anti-Corruption Commission.

The order was issued on Tuesday, January 6, by Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Md Sabbir Fayez, court bench assistant Md Riaz Hossain confirmed.

Those barred from leaving the country include several former senior secretaries, among them ex-bridge division senior secretary Khandaker Anwarul Islam, former road transport and highways secretary Md Nazrul Islam, former public security secretary Mostafa Kamal Uddin, former power division secretary Ahmad Kaikaus, and former land ministry secretary Md Abdul Jalil.

Others named are former water resources secretary Jafar Ahmed Khan, former finance and CAG secretary Mohammad Muslim Chowdhury, former legislative and parliamentary affairs senior secretary Mohammad Shahidul Haque, former SDG coordinator and secretary Miz Juena Aziz, former railway ministry secretary Md Mofazzel Hossain, former ERD senior secretary Kazi Shafiqul Azam, former defence secretary Akhtar Hossain Bhuiyan, and former energy and mineral resources secretary Abu Hena Md Rahmatul Muneem.

ACC assistant director Khorshed Alam filed the application, citing allegations that a housing project was approved in violation of laws and regulations of the Bangladesh Bridge Authority, allowing private flats to be built on government-interest land. Investigators fear the accused may flee abroad with their families, hampering the probe.