A Dhaka court has imposed a travel ban on eight individuals, including Arif Ahmed Soni, the grandson of prominent businessman Saiful Alam of S. Alam Group, amid an ongoing corruption inquiry by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).

The order was issued on Monday (May 5) by Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Zakir Hossain Galib following four separate petitions filed by the ACC.

The others banned from leaving the country are: Jafar Ahmad, Riyad Ahsan, Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission’s chief scientific officer Manjur Ahsan and his wife Nargis Khanam, Zill Wears Ltd Chairman Zahir Uddin Tarek and Managing Director Jasim Md Al Amin, and Orion Group associate Mehedi Hasan.

According to the ACC, Arif Ahmed Soni is under investigation for alleged corruption, illegal accumulation of wealth beyond known sources of income, and money laundering abroad. Confidential sources suggest that Soni and others hold undeclared assets in various parts of Bangladesh, including Dhaka and Chattogram, as well as in countries like Malaysia and Turkey.

The ACC told the court that the accused may attempt to flee the country to transfer or hide their movable and immovable assets, which could disrupt the investigation. Similar concerns were raised about the others named in the petitions.

The court, after reviewing the submissions, issued a travel restriction order to ensure proper investigation of the allegations.

MSK/