Passports of Shibli Rubayat, 8 others cancelled
The government has cancelled the passports of former chairman of the Bangladesh Securities Exchange Commission (BSEC) Shibli Rubayat Ul Islam and eight of its other officials.
The eight others who had their passports cancelled are former BSEC commissioner Shaikh Shamsuddin Ahmed, current executive directors Md Mahbubul Alam, Md Saifur Rahman and Mohammad Rezaul Karim, directors Sheikh Mahbub Ur Rahman and Mohammad Mahmoodul Hoque, Additional Director SK Md Lutful Kabir and Joint Director Md Rashidul Alam.
A source told Prothom Alo, the home ministry cancelled passports of the nine people last week. At the same time, the ministry barred travelling of Shibli Rubayat to abroad.
Allegations have it that the nine persons have colluded in looting of share market when they were in charge of the BSEC and acquired assets illegally.
A professor of banking and insurance at Dhaka University, Shibli Rubayat was appointed as the chairman of BSEC on 17 May 2020 for the first term and reappointed on 16 May 2024 for the second term.
He resigned from the BSEC on 10 August last year and returned to teaching after the fall of the Awami League government in the face of student-people movement.
Sources at the Dhaka University’s banking and insurance department said Shibli Rubayat sent his joining letter through a third person but he does not take classes now.
Banking and insurance department chairman Hasina Sheykh told Prothom Alo Shibli Rubayat Ul Islam cannot take classes since students boycotted him. He took a leave for two and a half months, ending on December but he did not join the department yet.
Teachers of the department, however, could not confirm whether Shibli Rubayat is currently in country.
Earlier, a court bans Shibli Rubayat from travelling abroad following an appeal filed by Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). The anti-graf watchdog said they opened inquiry into allegations against Shibli Rubayat of amassing huge wealth through corruption and irregularities so ACC fears he might leave the country anytime.
Besides, bank accounts belonging to Shibli Rubayat and his son Zuhayer Sarar Islam were frozen and their BO (beneficiary owners) accounts were also confiscated.
Shibli Rubayat faced a number of allegations over corruption and irregularities in share markets. He allegedly manipulated share market prices, helped the market manipulators and patronised a ring, which enjoyed many facilities from him in taking away the money from the markets.
He also drew huge controversy for arranging road show in foreign countries aimed at attracting foreign investment.
More passports cancelled
This month, the home ministry also cancelled the passports of former inspector general of police (IGP) Mohammad Javed Patwary, his wife Habiba Hossain, former Rural Development and Co-operatives Division secretary Mihir Kanti Mazumder and former additional IGP and head of Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) Banaj Kumar Majumder.
In the press conference on 8 January, Deputy Press Secretary to Chief Adviser Mohammad Abul Kalam said, to date, passports of 97 people including the ousted former prime minister Sheikh Hasina were cancelled over various incidents related to the enforced disappearances during the Awami League regime and the killings during the July mass uprising.