A Dhaka court on Sunday imposed a travel ban on 18 individuals, including former environment minister Saber Hossain Chowdhury, Feni-2 lawmaker Nizam Uddin Hazari, and former state minister Meher Afroz Chumki.

Judge Zakir Hossain Galib of the Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judges Court issued the order following three petitions filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).

According to the ACC’s petition, others banned from leaving the country include Nur Jahan Begum, Sheikh Abdullah, and M Amirul Islam—partners of Snigdha Overseas Ltd; Mohammad Ruhul Amin—managing director of Catharsis International Ltd; M Noor Ali, Nasir Uddin Ahmed, and Khondakar Showkat Hossain—managing director and associates of Unique Eastern (Pvt) Ltd; Md Shafiqul Islam—chairman of BM Travels Ltd; and Engr Estahak Ahmed Shaikat—managing director of BNS Overseas Ltd.

They are under ACC investigation for allegedly overcharging Malaysia-bound workers and laundering money abroad.

In addition to Saber Hossain Chowdhury, the travel ban also applies to his wife Rehana Chowdhury; son Hamdan Hossain Chowdhury; daughters Raimah Chowdhury and Alisha Babar Chowdhury; and Araj Alam Chowdhury.

In its petition, the ACC alleged that Saber Hossain used his political influence to commit financial crimes and amassed significant wealth beyond known sources of income, holding assets in the names of his family members both domestically and abroad.

The court also imposed a travel ban on former state minister Meher Afroz Chumki and her husband Mohammad Masudur Rahman, CEO of Bangladesh Petroleum and Lubricants.

The petition alleged that Masudur Rahman exploited his wife’s influence to amass about Tk2.3 crore beyond known income sources, acquiring assets through collusion.

The ACC requested the travel ban on them to ensure a proper investigation.