Online Desk  :  A Dhaka court has issued a travel ban on eight individuals, including Sheikh Rehana’s husband Shafique Ahmed Siddique, in connection with an ongoing investigation into alleged irregularities amounting to nearly Tk 59,000 crore in the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant project.

Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Md. Zakir Hossain Galib passed the order on Tuesday following a petition by Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), said ACC spokesperson Akhtarul Islam. Others barred from leaving the country include Shahin Siddique, wife of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s defense advisor Tariq Ahmed Siddique, and their daughters Bushra Siddique and Nawrin Tasmia Siddique. Former army officer Lt. Col. (dismissed) Shahid Uddin Khan, his wife Farzana Anjum, and daughters Shehtaj Munnasy Khan and Parija Painaz Khan are also on the list.

According to ACC, the individuals are directors of a company named Projchhaya Limited, which is suspected of being used to siphon off funds from the Rooppur project. Investigators said they received credible information that the accused were preparing to flee the country with their families. The ACC argued that their departure could hamper the investigation and lead to the loss of critical evidence. The travel restriction was sought to ensure the integrity of the inquiry. A seven-member investigation team has been formed by ACC to probe the allegations of large-scale corruption in Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant project.