Travel Ban Imposed On Ex-Shilpakala DG, 23 Others

A court has imposed a travel ban on 24 individuals, including former Director General of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy Mohammad Liakat Ali Lucky, in a case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).

On Monday, December 23, the vacation judge of the Dhaka Senior Special Judge Court, Mohammad Ibrahim Mia, issued the order following an application by the ACC. The ACC’s Public Prosecutor, Mir Ahmed Ali Salam, confirmed the information.

The other accused individuals subject to the travel ban include: Director Jahangir Hossain Chowdhury, Cultural Officers Al Mamun, Mohammad Hamidur Rahman, Begum Sudipta Chakraborty, Hasan Mahmud, Begum Buna Laila Mahmud, Assistant Director (Budget & Planning) Begum Samira Ahmed, Stage Manager Begum Rahima Khatun, Guide Lecturer Mohammad Mahabubur Rahman, Instructor (Music & Instruments) Begum Meena Ara Parveen, Instructor (Dance) Begum Priyanka Saha, Instrumentalist (Grade-3) Narayan Dev Liton and Mohammad Ziaul Abedin, Dancer (Grade-3) Begum Laila Yasmin, Begum Miftahul Binte Masuk, Begum Alka Dash, Begum Sumaita Tabassum Khanam, Singer Begum Roksana Akter Rupa, Abdullah El Rafi Talukdar, Mohammad Sohanur Rahman, Begum Abida Rahman Setu, Begum Mohona Das, and Cameraman (Public Relations) Mohammad Rubel Mia.

On the same day, ACC Assistant Director Mohammad Monirul Islam filed the application seeking the travel ban on the accused. During the hearing, the ACC’s Public Prosecutor, Mir Ahmed Ali Salam, presented the case. After the hearing, the court approved the application.

Earlier, on October 6, ACC Deputy Director Sumitra Sen filed a case against the 24 individuals. The case alleges that Mohammad Liakat Ali Lucky, the Director General of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, and Director (Administration) Jahangir Hossain Chowdhury, in collusion, forged and manipulated written exam papers for recruitment at the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy. The accused allegedly inflated the marks of candidates who had failed the written exam, unlawfully appointing 23 individuals to 10 positions. They later embezzled a total of 82,849,495 BDT from government funds by withdrawing salary and allowances for these unlawfully appointed candidates.