A Dhaka court today imposed travel ban on 17 people, including ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina and former Roads and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader, in a corruption case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).

Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Court Vacation Bench Judge Mohammad Abdullah Al Mamun passed the order following a petition submitted by the ACC. The petition was filed by ACC Assistant Director Tanzil Hasan.

Those barred from leaving the country include former ministers Amir Hossain Amu, Anisul Haque, Tofail Ahmed and Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain; former state minister MA Mannan; secretary MAN Siddique; additional secretary Md Faruk Jalil; deputy secretary Md Shafiqul Karim; engineer Md Firoz Iqbal; Ibne Alam Hasan; Md Aftab Hossain Khan; Md Abdus Salam; and CNS Limited Managing Director Munir Uz Zaman Chowdhury, along with directors Selina Chowdhury and Ikram Iqbal.

According to the case statement, Computer Network Systems Limited (CNS) was given a contract in 2016 to collect tolls through a single-source tender, cancelling a previously valid tender without negotiations with other organisations.

Under the arrangement, CNS Limited was given the work order on a service charge basis of 17.75 percent of the total toll collected, excluding VAT and IT. As a result, the company received bills amounting to more than Taka 489 crore.

In contrast, the cost of assigning toll collection jointly to MBEL-ATT during the 2010-2015 period on the same bridge was slightly over Taka 15 crore.

The ACC filed the case on October 12 against 17 people, including Sheikh Hasina, over the alleged irregularities.