A Dhaka court has imposed a travel ban on Golam Mohammad Quader, popularly known as GM Quader, chairman of the Jatiya Party (JaPa), and his wife Sherifa Quader.
The order was issued on Thursday (September 4) by Acting Judge Ibrahim Miah of the Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Court following an application by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
The ACC is investigating GM Quader on charges of acquiring illegal wealth and money laundering through nomination trading. In line with this investigation, the commission sought a travel ban on the couple. ACC Public Relations Officer Aktarul Islam briefed journalists about the matter.
According to the ACC’s allegations, following the 2018 Eleventh Parliamentary Election, a bribe of Tk 18.10 crore was taken to provide party nomination for a reserved women’s seat, with the main beneficiary being then Acting Chairman GM Quader. The allegations further state that Professor Masuda M. Rashid Chowdhury was temporarily suspended from her party position for failing to pay the agreed sum, and in her place, Sherifa Quader became a Member of Parliament.
The ACC also claims that GM Quader rose to the chairmanship of the Jatiya Party through fraudulent means and amassed enormous wealth through trading of party positions and nominations, which was later laundered abroad. While the Jatiya Party’s central committee has 301 official members, 600 to 650 people are currently listed, which the commission cites as evidence of position trading.