On Monday, the US Department of State made a public announcement concerning the designation of former Chief of the Bangladesh Army Staff Aziz Ahmed on charges of significantly engaging in corruption. The use of section 7031(c) under the annual Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act allows the imposition of a travel ban, barring Aziz and his immediate family members from entry into the United States.
The State Department singled out Aziz for his corrupt interference in public processes, notably in facilitating his brother’s evasion of legal accountability for criminal actions within Bangladesh. The allegations against Aziz include inappropriate handling of military contracts and acceptance of bribes for personal gain. Aziz’s actions, according to the State Department, have served to undermine democratic institutions and processes within Bangladesh.
The designation underscores the commitment the US holds towards strengthening democracy in Bangladesh. As noted by the Department of State:
“[Aziz’s] designation reaffirms the [US’s] commitment to strengthening democratic institutions and rule of law in Bangladesh. The [US] supports anti-corruption efforts in Bangladesh through assistance to make government services more transparent and affordable, improve the business and regulatory environment [] and build capacity in investigating and prosecuting money laundering and other financial crimes.”
The corruption scandal involving Aziz officially surfaced on February 1st, 2021, when a documentary, titled “All the Prime Minister’s Men” was released by Al Jazeera. The documentary shed light on how Aziz’s brothers, Haris and Anis Ahmed, both convicted murderers in Bangladesh, managed to elude law enforcement under the protective umbrella provided by Aziz and others. Aziz quickly rejected these allegations, declaring them as false and part of a conspiracy by motivated groups.
Following the release of the documentary, the High Court of Bangladesh instructed the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission to take down the documentary from all online and social media platforms. Aziz subsequently retired in June 2021.
Amidst the ongoing controversy, Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud of Bangladesh mentioned on Tuesday at a “Meet the Reporters” event that the US had informed the Bangladesh Embassy in Washington DC about the pending sanctions on Aziz ahead of the public announcement. Aziz also opted to personally respond to the US sanctions during an interview on Ekattor TV, stating that he had not committed any crime warranting punishment. He referred to the sanctions as both surprising and unfortunate, but stated that he did not have any intention of pursuing legal actions against them.
More can be found in the original post on JURIST – News.