No travel ban issued against Benazir anywhere: Foreign minister

Former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Benazir Ahmed can travel anywhere in the world as no travel ban has been issued against him anywhere, Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud said today (3 June).

"Look, there has been no travel ban against him – neither from any court nor from the Anti-Corruption Commission," he told reporters while responding to a question at a media briefing at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs after his return from Antigua and Barbuda and New York, USA.

According to media reports, Benazir, his wife, and their daughters left Dhaka on a Singapore Airlines flight on the night of 4 May.

The foreign minister said it remains to be seen whether the former police chief appears before the ACC on 6 June.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) said they summoned Benazir for questioning over allegations of accumulating illegal wealth on 6 June.

Additionally, the commission has summoned his wife and daughters for questioning on 9 June.

On 23 April, the ACC decided to investigate the allegations against Benazir and his family.

Subsequently, the anti-corruption watchdog requested various financial institutions, including the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU), to provide transaction records concerning Benazir and his family members.

On 23 May, a Dhaka court first ordered the confiscation of 345 bigha of land belonging to Benazir and his family members, and 33 bank accounts in their names in various public and private banks.

Following this, last Sunday the court also ordered the seizure of several more immovable properties valued in crores and the freezing of additional movable assets in 119 documents.

Responding to a separate question, the foreign minister said the government runs the country in a transparent manner and they have no influence over the ACC. "ACC is working independently and transparently."

The foreign minister also said the judiciary is working independently.