Sheikh Shaira Sharmin, wife of Bangladesh Jatiya Party (BJP) Chairman Barrister Andalib Rahman Partha, was not allowed to go abroad at the last minute. Authorities stopped her during immigration checking at the capital's Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on Friday morning.

Airport sources said that the decision came from a high level, 'She cannot be allowed to go abroad under any circumstances without the permission of the SB (Special Branch).' As a result, Sheikh Shaira and her younger daughter were forced to return home despite having boarding passes for a Bangkok-bound flight.

Barrister Partha said that his wife and daughter were going to Bangkok, Thailand for a medical checkup. But when they went to immigration, they found out that they would not be able to go abroad without the prior permission of the SB.

“When the SB informed us about the matter, we did not do anything further. We returned home. However, no one misbehaved with us,” said Andalib Rahman Partha.

Recently, after President Md. Abdul Hamid's dramatic departure from the country, full control of immigration activities has passed to the Special Branch. As a result, any individual's foreign travel has now become dependent on the SB's prior permission.

When asked about the legal position on this issue, Barrister Partha said,

“I myself am a lawyer. We will not go outside the law. My family members will go abroad in the future with proper permission.”

It is noteworthy that Sheikh Shaira Sharmin is the nephew of Bangabandhu and the daughter of Awami League leader Sheikh Helal Uddin. According to political sources, her foreign trip may have been postponed for the time being due to some sensitive family and political situations.

No official comment was received from the concerned administration or the Home Ministry on this issue.