ACC to seek travel ban on ex-state minister Arafat, wife

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has decided to seek a court order imposing a travel ban on former State Minister for Information Mohammad Ali Arafat and his wife, Sharmin Mushtari, over allegations of money laundering.

ACC Assistant Director Md Tanjir Ahmed confirmed the decision at the Commission’s headquarters on Tuesday.

The Commission has approved a proposal to petition the court to restrict the couple’s foreign travel amid allegations of money laundering involving Arafat and individuals and entities linked to him.

In February, the investigating officer applied for restrictions on the foreign travel of Arafat, a former state minister for Information and Broadcasting, and his wife. The ACC has now given the go-ahead to place the application before the court.

Arafat, who represented the Dhaka-17 constituency in Parliament, has not been seen in public since Sheikh Hasina left the country on August 5. His current whereabouts remain unknown.

On August 12, Bangladesh Bank’s Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) froze the bank accounts of Arafat, his wife and business entities owned by them.

The proposed travel restriction comes as the ACC continues its inquiry into alleged financial irregularities and money laundering involving the former state minister and persons and entities associated with him.