US slaps travel ban on ex army chief Gen Aziz, family for 'significant corruption'

The United States has announced the public designation of General (Retd) Aziz Ahmed, former chief of the Bangladesh Army Staff, and his family over allegations of "significant corruption," stating that his actions contributed to undermining "Bangladesh's democratic institutions and the public's faith in public institutions and processes." 

This action renders Aziz and his immediate family members generally ineligible for entry into the United States, the announcement says.

A statement in this regard was published on the US State Department website on 20 May (Monday midnight in Bangladesh time). 

When the US government "designates" someone, it puts them on a list that restricts their activities in some way. This can include: Freezing their assets held in the US or by US institutions; prohibiting US citizens or companies from doing business with them; imposing travel restrictions. 

Therefore, designation is a specific action taken within the broader framework of sanctions. It essentially "flags" the person or entity for specific limitations.

However, the former army chief, in a rebuttal to a local TV channel on Tuesday (21 May), condemned the accusations brought against him and said the travel ban imposed on him and his family could have been done to embarrass or discredit the government. 

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, in a press briefing after a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, refused to make any comments on the matter when asked by reporters, stating that he was not aware of the details regarding the US sanctions imposed on the former army chief.

But Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud, while speaking at an event on Tuesday, told reporters that the Bangladesh Embassy in Washington was informed by the US State Department about the upcoming travel ban against Aziz Ahmed beforehand. 

The US Statement

In the US government statement, US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said, "Aziz Ahmed engaged in significant corruption by interfering in public processes while helping his brother evade accountability for criminal activity in Bangladesh."

As per the statement, Aziz also worked closely with his brother to ensure the improper awarding of military contracts and accepted bribes in exchange for government appointments for his personal benefit.

"This designation reaffirms the US commitment to strengthening democratic institutions and rule of law in Bangladesh," the statement further read.

Previously, the US Government sanctioned the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) on 9 December 2023 for alleged human rights violations, a move met with scorn and confusion from the government with Law Minister Anisul Huq calling the allegations "fictitious," and "extremely unfortunate."

Diplomatic efforts did not resolve the issue as was hoped centring on a meeting on 15 May between Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud and Donald Lu, the US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs. 

After the meeting, Donald Lu told reporters, "We want to look forward and not back. We want to find ways to strengthen our relations and so, today [15 May], I spoke to the foreign minister about working on our hard issues. We have a lot of hard issues - RAB sanctions, labour reforms, human rights, and business climate reforms. In order to work on hard issues, we want to build up cooperation on positive issues."                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

Hasan Mahmud, after the meeting commented on the sanctions imposed on RAB. He told reporters, "The sanctions on several RAB officials had an impact on our relations. We have discussed the withdrawal of these sanctions with the Foreign Office, but not in detail. 

"The sanction process went through various stages and was quite lengthy. The process of lifting the sanctions will also be long. We now want to move forward."

During a US State Department press briefing on 16 May, Vedant Patel said that claims of lifted sanctions on RAB were false. "The United States is not withdrawing the sanctions against RAB," Patel said.

The clarification came following media reports in favour of lifting RAB sanctions emerged in local news outlets after Prime Minister's Private Industry and Investment Adviser Salman Fazlur Rahman hosted a dinner for Donald Lu on the night of 14 May.

Allegations fabricated: Ex-general Aziz

Soon after the statement was picked up by news outlets, the former Bangladesh army chief Gen Aziz Ahmed came on a local television channel where he criticised the allegations brought against him, apparently from his drawing room, saying those were fabricated. 

He further said the travel ban imposed on him and his family could have been done to embarrass or discredit the government. 

In the interview, Aziz vehemently denied any involvement in the accusations brought against him and asserted that he possesses all the necessary documentation to prove his innocence regarding allegations of lobbying for his brother.

"I challenge anyone to provide evidence implicating me in aiding my brother to evade accountability for criminal activity in Bangladesh during my tenure as chief of army staff from June 2018 to June 2021 and as chief of Border Guard Bangladesh for four years from 2012."

Not aware of the details of US sanction: Home minister 

Meanwhile, in response to questions from reporters following a cabinet meeting on government procurement at the Secretariat on Tuesday, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan has stated that he was not aware of the details regarding the US sanctions imposed on former chief of army staff Aziz Ahmed.

He said, "I have no comments on this matter as I do not have the full details yet. So, I do not know why these sanctions have been imposed. I have only heard about a notification."

Embassy in Washington was informed: Foreign minister 

However, while speaking to reporters at an afternoon event in Dhaka Reporters Unity, Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud said the US State Department had informed the Bangladesh Embassy in Washington about the upcoming travel ban against General Aziz beforehand.

He also said the US decision against the former army chief was a travel ban and did not fall under the previous visa policy. 

"The sanction was made under Section 7031(c) of the US Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act," he added.

The minister was referring to the May 2023 US government's decision to deny visas to individuals, from law enforcers to political leaders, who they believed to be responsible for, or complicit in, undermining the democratic election process in Bangladesh in January 2024. 

On the government's next steps regarding the travel ban, he said, "This is a matter concerning the military. As it concerns the military, I do not want to comment on it right now."

Link to the US sanction

In February 2021, an Al-Jazeera news report titled "All the Prime Minister's Men" levied various allegations, including corruption, against the then-army chief Aziz. 

Both the army headquarters and the foreign ministry refuted the report, labelling it as "false" and "slanderous."

Aziz, at the time, said the claims made against him in the Al Jazeera documentary were fabricated, which he reiterated on Tuesday. He said the allegations were false, concocted and part of a conspiracy by vested groups. 

"I want to assure you [speaking to journalists] that such propaganda will not affect the army. The army is respectful of Bangladesh and loyal to the Bangladesh government and will remain so. The army is always ready to carry out all kinds of orders and directives of the government. We are constitutionally united to deal with any problem whether it is internal or external," he said in 2021.

He further said that an attack on the chief of army, who is appointed by the prime minister, is an attack on the prime minister herself, and vested groups are involved in the conspiracy to target the nation.

Responding to questions about his brother Tofail Ahmed Joseph back then, he had said, "When I met my brother in Malaysia, there was no case against him. That case was due to a conspiracy, from which he was then acquitted. He was released in March, and I went to Malaysia in April. As a result, the propaganda that Al-Jazeera is running is completely malicious. The day I met him, there was no case against him, nor any sentence."

Tofail Ahmed Joseph was sentenced to death on 25 April 2004 for the 1996 murder of Freedom Party leader Mostafizur Rahman Mostafa. Joseph faced charges in 10 other cases involving extortion and illegal firearms possession.

Joseph's elder brothers, Haris Ahmed and Anis Ahmed, were also given life sentences for the murder but remain absconding.

On 27 May 2018, Joseph was released from jail custody on presidential clemency, nearly two years after the Supreme Court commuted his death sentence to a life sentence on 9 December 2015.