Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury, the editor of The Daily Observer and former media adviser to the ex-prime minister, was prevented from leaving the country for Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah. Immigration police intercepted him at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on the afternoon of April 15, 2026. He was scheduled to fly to Jeddah on Saudi Airlines flight SV-809. According to immigration sources, his passport had been “stop-listed” due to his involvement as an accused in multiple cases filed following the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement. Consequently, he was barred from boarding his flight and sent back from the airport.
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This information has been collected from open sources. Bangladesh Media Monitor has not independently verified the claims presented.