Court refuses to lift travel ban imposed on Orion Group chief Obaidul Karim, wife

The defence team includes a member of the advisory council to the BNP chairperson and the chief prosecutor of the BDR mutiny case

A Dhaka court has denied a petition from Orion Group Chairman Mohammad Obaidul Karim and his wife Arzuda Karim, seeking permission to travel to India, Singapore, or the UAE for urgent medical treatment.

Judge Md Sabbir Faiz of the Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge’s Court passed the order on Thursday, rejecting the couple's plea for a temporary waiver of their overseas travel ban.

The duo had moved the court on May 4 through their lawyers.

Following an initial hearing last week, the court held a further hearing on Thursday before delivering the final decision.

Representing the Orion chief, senior lawyers, including Masud Ahmed Talukder, a member of the advisory council to the BNP chairperson, and Md Borhan Uddin, the chief prosecutor of the BDR mutiny case, argued that their clients required immediate medical attention available only in specific foreign hospitals.

The plea faced stiff opposition from the state and the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).

Public Prosecutor Omar Faruq Faruqi and ACC Prosecutor Delwar Jahan Rumi argued against the travel, citing the ongoing investigations into the couple’s financial dealings.

"The court kept the order pending after the hearing and later moved to reject the application," PP Faruq Faruqi told reporters.

Obaidul and several members of his family have been under a travel embargo since Feb 17 last year.