The United States Department of State has announced that from 2018 to 2021 Bangladesh Army chief It was announced that Aziz Ahmed, who served as
The announcement accused Aziz of helping to shield his brother from justice for illegal activities and said he had accepted improper military contracts and bribes.
(These allegations and allegations were further detailed in a 2021 Al Jazeera documentary.)
United States for the first time in 2021 Bangladesh imposed sanctions on a paramilitary organization accused of human rights abuses. Last year, several unidentified Bangladeshi nationals also faced visa restrictions for ‘undermining the democratic electoral process’.
Nevertheless, the fresh announcement took Dhaka by surprise. The United States has taken a softer public stance toward Bangladesh in the months following elections in January, but the State Department has not called those elections free or fair.
During his visit to Dhaka last week, US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lowe discussed the importance of advancing the relationship.
According to the US foreign policy think tank, the sanctions once morest General Aziz are a reminder that the promotion of human rights and democracy have been a core component of US-Bangladesh relations. Given Washington’s desire to ensure cordial cooperation, the ruling is actually a safe bet: it’s a relatively light sentence that doesn’t go following economic assets and targets a retired officer.
The government of Bangladesh has not yet come to the defense of General Aziz Ahmed.
However, calling it a disgrace to their country, civil society groups yesterday called on the authorities to blacklist former army chief General Aziz Ahmed and his family on charges of ‘corruption’ by Washington. Investigation should be done later.
Aziz and his immediate family cannot enter the United States as a result of this decision.
Aziz is accused of helping his brother avoid prosecution, accepting bribes in exchange for government appointments and working with his brother to influence military contracts. .
Transparency International Bangladesh’s blacklisting of Iftikhar-ul-Zaman was no surprise because ‘the US has made it clear’ that it will not tolerate corruption.
The Executive Director of Transparency International Bangladesh told Banner News, ‘It is a real shame for the country and its people to witness that the former army chief was involved in corruption and misused his powers. ‘
Iftikhar-ul-Zaman said: ‘Now Bangladesh has to prove that there is rule of law here too. Therefore, these allegations of corruption should be investigated impartially.’
Badi Alam Majumdar, who is part of Dhaka’s civil society, said Bangladeshi authorities, particularly the Anti-Corruption Commission, should take “immediate exemplary action” once morest Aziz and others involved in corruption.
“This is a great shame for a country and its people,” society leader Jono Nagorek told The Banner News.
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According to him, Aziz and his three brothers have become like the biggest mafia groups in the world due to long political patronage and unlimited benefits to military officers.
Foreign Minister Hasan Mehmood was asked by journalists yesterday whether the Bangladesh government was planning any action once morest Aziz in response to the US blacklisting him. His reply was: ‘It is a military issue. I don’t want to say anything right now.’
“We are in contact with the United States and are working together internationally in anti-corruption, anti-terrorism and other areas.”
The minister said that the US government had informed the Bangladesh embassy in Washington before announcing the ban.
A statement published on the website of the US State Department said that Aziz’s actions have damaged Bangladesh’s democratic institutions.
A statement attributed to spokesman Matthew Miller said Aziz Ahmed committed corruption by interfering with the public process in helping his brother avoid accountability for criminal activities in Bangladesh.
It added that ‘Aziz, along with his brother, also tried to ensure improper award of military contracts and accepted bribes in exchange for government appointments for his personal gain.’
‘Shocked’
Bangladesh’s former army chief has responded by saying that all the allegations once morest him are false and that he was ‘surprised to hear’ regarding the US announcement.
In an interview with Jamuna TV, a private television channel in Bangladesh, he said, ‘[ایک] The friend told me in the morning [محکمہ خارجہ کے بیان کی] Copy sent.’
Aziz said that in a 2021 documentary by Qatar-based media group Al Jazeera, the same claims were made once morest him as those made by the United States.
During the interview, Aziz was asked regarding allegations related to his three brothers who were convicted in a 2004 murder case. Two of the three escaped capture and are still at large, while the third was in prison, where he received a presidential pardon in 2018 following serving more than a decade.
The former army chief said that the US allegation of helping to save a brother is false.
‘That brother of mine has been living abroad for a long time. He went abroad with a valid passport.’
‘one more [شکایت] It is that I committed corruption by giving military contract to my brother and accepting bribe. If anyone can prove that I BGB [بارڈر گارڈ بنگلہ دیش] If I have given any work to my brother or any relative during my four-year service as the Chief of Army Staff and three years as the Army Chief, I am ready to bear all kinds of consequences.
The interviewer asked Aziz that if there was no evidence, how might America take action? So he said he would not comment on the matter because I don’t have any data.’
‘All Prime Minister’s Servants’
According to an Al Jazeera documentary, one of his brothers, Haris Ahmed, moved to Budapest in 2015 and has been doing business there ever since. Another brother, Anees Ahmed, reportedly lives in Malaysia. Some media reports have said that the third brother, Tufail Ahmed Joseph, who was pardoned, has also left Bangladesh.
In 2021, a Bangladeshi court ordered the removal of the Al Jazeera documentary ‘All the Prime Minister’s Men’ from the country’s social media platforms. At the time, Al Jazeera’s investigative unit defended the documentary.
Al Jazeera said in a statement that it “exposes how Bangladesh’s army chief helped two fugitive murder brothers escape justice.”
‘One brother, Haris Ahmed, boasts that thanks to his powerful family connections he can use the police and paramilitary units to kidnap his rivals and make a fortune from bribes.’
Al Jazeera said it had contacted everyone mentioned in the documentary, including Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Aziz’s brothers, senior members of the security forces and ministers, but none of them responded to detailed questions.
General Aziz Ahmed (centre) being presented with a badge as the ‘7th Colonel Commandant’ of the Corps of Engineers at the Engineer Center and School of Military Engineering in Nattur district, Rajshahi, Bangladesh on October 28, 2019 ( Bangladesh Army)
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2024-07-04 00:05:13