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The United States Department of State has announced that the former chief of the Bangladesh Army, General Aziz Ahmed, and his family members are generally ineligible to enter the US due to his involvement in ‘significant corruption’. 

‘The US Department of State announced today the public designation of former General Aziz Ahmed, previously Chief of the Bangladesh Army Staff, due to his involvement in significant corruption,’ said US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller in a statement issued on May 20. 

This action, as per the statement, renders Aziz and his immediate family members ‘generally ineligible for entry into the United States’.

The action against Aziz has been taken under Section 7031(c) of the annual Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programmes Appropriations Act, the US State Department stated. 

Asked about the US restrictions on the former army chief, foreign minister Hasan Mahmud said at an event in the city on Tuesday that the Bangladesh mission in Washington was informed about the action earlier.

‘The entry restrictions have been imposed over corruption under a separate act; it is not related to the US visa policy announcement for Bangladesh under a different act,’ the FM told ‘Meet the Reporters’ hosted by the Dhaka Reporters’ Unity on its premises.

He said that Bangladesh was engaged with the US in the fight against corruption.

Asked what the government would do now in this particular case, the minister said that he wouldn’t say anything about that since it was a matter of the Bangladesh Army.

‘His actions have contributed to the undermining of Bangladesh’s democratic institutions and the public’s faith in public institutions and processes,’ said the US statement, adding that Aziz Ahmed engaged in significant corruption by interfering in public processes while helping his brother evade accountability for criminal activity in Bangladesh. 

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, according to the statement.

The statement claimed that the action reaffirmed the US commitment to strengthening democratic institutions and the rule of law in Bangladesh. 

Talking to the media, Aziz, in his instant reaction, said that he was surprised at the announcement of such a US action against him on corruption allegations, which he termed baseless. 

Denying the allegations, the retired general claimed that he did not give any army contracts to his brothers.

‘I would accept any consequences if anyone could prove that I gave any contracts to my brothers or any relatives during my tenure as BGB chief and the three-year term as army chief,’ Aziz said.

The US action came just a few days after its assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asia, Donald Lu, visited Bangladesh to strengthen relations following months of tensions between the two countries before Bangladesh’s January 7 general elections.

Aziz was Bangladesh’s army chief between 2018 and 2021.