Former Bangladesh Army Chief General (retd) Aziz Ahmed and his family members have been banned from entering the United States due to allegations of corruption. This information was provided in a statement published on the US State Department’s website on Monday.
The statement indicated that Aziz Ahmed’s activities undermined the democratic institutions of Bangladesh and diminished public confidence in government institutions and processes. He is also accused of assisting his brother in avoiding accountability for criminal activities in Bangladesh.
The US State Department stated that Aziz Ahmed was involved in significant corruption by interfering with systematic processes. He allegedly worked closely with his brother to ensure unfair employment in the military sector and accepted bribes in return for government appointments for his own interests.
US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said that the action against Aziz Ahmed reaffirms the US commitment to strengthening democratic institutions and the rule of law in Bangladesh. The United States supports Bangladesh’s anti-corruption efforts by making public services more transparent and accessible to citizens, improving business and regulatory systems, and increasing the capacity to investigate and prosecute money laundering and other economic crimes.
The State Department announced the inclusion of former General (retd) Aziz Ahmed under Section 7031(c) of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act. This move makes Aziz Ahmed and his family members generally ineligible to enter the United States.