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THIS is heartening that the Anti-Corruption Commission, following wide criticism, eventually has taken the initiative to investigate the alleged illegal amassing of huge wealth by former inspector general of police Benazir Ahmed and his family. After the media reported the illegal wealth accumulation of the former IGP, also the former chief of the Rapid Action Battalion, to the tune of hundreds of crores of taka on March 31, the ACC remained silent for over a fortnight, drawing criticism for its inaction from different quarters and people at large. The commission, on April 18, decided to carry out an inquiry against Benazir and so far has unveiled ‘unusual assets’ that do not match the legal sources of income of the former IGP, who received the ‘Shuddhachar Purashkar’ — an award given for honesty, morality and proper financial management, among other conducts of integrity. The Dhaka Metropolitan Court has, meanwhile, ordered the seizure of assets and the freezing of the financial accounts of Benazir and his family members. When all this looks heartening in that the anti-corruption watchdog, which is often criticised for being silent on corruption allegations that involve powerful people, has at last begun investigating the allegation against the former police chief, what comes as worrying is the silence over the corruption allegation against the former army chief, Aziz Ahmed. 

The US State Department, in an announcement on May 20, announced that the former army chief and his immediate family members were ineligible for entry into the United States. The ban falls under Section 7031(c) of the annual Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act. This provision of the Act targets foreign officials and their immediate family members involved in significant corruption or gross human rights violations. The US State Department press release said that the former army chief’s actions had undermined Bangladesh’s democratic institutions and public faith in these institutions. It specifically accused him of ‘significant corruption by interfering in public processes while helping his brother evade accountability for criminal activities’. It also accused him of improper awarding of military contracts and accepting bribes in exchange for government appointments. The former army chief’s misconduct was earlier reported by international media. The government and its anti-corruption watchdog remained silent all along. Even after the US sanctions, the foreign minister dismissed it as ‘an army matter’. Such a comment by the foreign minister is unbecoming, as the army is under the defence ministry, which has so far not uttered a word, let alone initiated or helped initiate an investigation into the accusations and allegations. Such silence over corruption allegations against the army chief once again shows the hollowness of the government’s zero tolerance stance on corruption.

The government and the Anti-Corruption Commission must, therefore, take the accusations and allegations against the former army chief into cognisance, investigate them, and, if found true, bring him to justice. The Anti-Corruption Commission must realise that it risks its integrity if it does not investigate allegations of corruption and abuse of power by people in powerful positions.