The High Court has disposed of a writ petition filed by Tafsir Awal, one of the Directors of Multimode Group Limited, challenging the legality of a travel ban on him by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
The High Court bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman passed the order on Thursday after hearing on a written representation filed by Tafsir Awal over his staying abroad.
Barrister Saqeb Mahbub, one of the counsels of Tafsir, said there is now no bar on Mr Awal from entering or leaving Bangladesh. It is notable that as of yet, the ACC has not filed any FIR against Tafsir Awal, added the lawyer.
The lawyer said, “Tafsir Awal is a regular traveler and wanted to visit UK as part of his regular journey to this destination in January 2021. He went to the airport on January 24, 2021 board the Biman Bangladesh flight scheduled for London where the immigration authority off-boarded him without any prior notice citing that they have instruction from their higher officials not to allow him to leave the country.”
Later it was recovered that the ACC on October 4 in 2020 without filing any case against him has imposed a travel ban on him. Then Mr Awal moved a writ petition before the High Court. Upon hearing the High Court bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Sardar Md Rashed Jahangir on May 5 in 2021 pleased to issue a rule and directing ACC to allow Awal to leave and re-enter the country.
Thereafter the ACC moved a petition before the Appellate Division challenging the interim order passed by the High Court and the full court of the Appellate Division passed a judgment in favor of Mr Awal stating that the ACC cannot impose any such ban on Mr Awal without an order from the court.
On Thursday, Awal’s legal representatives Barrister Mustafizur Rahman Khan and Barrister Saqeb Mahbub moved the writ petition before the High Court. And the High Court bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman disposed of the petition in light of the Appellate Division’s earlier judgment.
Barrister Saqeb said since the Appellate Division’s judgment, it was held that a travel ban by executive order without permission of the court is illegal, as such, the ACC’s travel restriction imposed on Mr Awal on October 4 in 2020 can now be said to be illegal.
Lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan appeared in the hearing on behalf of the ACC and deputy attorney general AM Amin Uddin Manik represented the state.
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