Travel ban issued against Hasan Mahmud, wife

A Dhaka court today imposed a travel ban on former Foreign Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud and his wife Nuran Fatema over graft allegations.

Senior Special Judge Md. Zakir Hossain Galib of Dhaka Metropolitan Court issued the order approving the Anti-Corruption Commission’s (ACC) plea.

Md. Tanzir Ahmed, Assistant Director of the ACC (Public Relations), confirmed the matter.

The ACC’s Assistant Director Al-Amin applied for the travel ban.

According to the ACC’s petition, Dr. Hasan Mahmud is accused of abusing his power to unlawfully acquire assets worth Tk11.15 crore. He is also charged with suspicious transactions amounting to Tk39.76 crore through nine bank accounts held in his name, jointly, and under his business entities. The ACC filed the case on April 6.

The petition also stated that, as the investigation is still ongoing, imposing a travel ban on him is essential to ensure a fair investigation.

Similarly, Nuran Fatema is accused of unlawfully acquiring and possessing assets worth Tk5.52 crore without any identifiable source of income. She also faces allegations of money laundering through irregular transactions totaling Tk683.15 crore across 56 bank accounts. The ACC filed a case against her on the same day.

To facilitate a fair investigation, the ACC requested a travel ban against her as well. The court granted both applications.