Whip allowed to go abroad: HC

The High Court yesterday granted Jatiya Sangsad Whip Shamsul Haque Chowdhury the permission to go abroad, even though a lower court had earlier banned him from traveling outside the country.

In June last year, a Dhaka court issued a travel ban on the ruling Awami League lawmaker because the ACC was investigating him for money-laundering.

The HC stayed the order for a period of six months.

It also issued a rule asking the ACC to explain in four weeks why the lower court's order should not be declared illegal.

The HC bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman passed the order and rule following a writ petition filed by Shamsul Haque Chowdhury challenging the travel ban.

Shamsul's lawyer Mustafizur Rahman Khan told The Daily Star that there is no case filed against his client, but a Dhaka court on June 21 imposed a travel ban on him citing an enquiry into corruption allegations against him.

Terming the ban illegal, he added, the JS whip can go to any foreign country for any necessary purpose following the HC order.

Shamsul's name came up during the ACC's probe into illegal casinos in the city in 2019.  The AL MP, who represents Chattogram-12, is also the general secretary of Chattogram Abahani club.

Judge KM Emrul Kayesh of Dhaka's Senior Special Court had passed the travel ban order last year after ACC Director Syed Iqbal Hossain, who is also head of the enquiry team, submitted an application on June 13, seeking a ban on him and several others from travelling abroad.