The US Department of State announced on Monday the public designation of former Chief of the Bangladesh Army Staff Aziz Ahmed for significantly engaging in corruption. Under section 7031(c) of the annual Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, a public designation imposes a travel ban against Aziz and his immediate family members, disallowing them entry to the US.

According to the State Department, Aziz was corrupt “by interfering in public processes while helping his brother evade accountability for criminal activity in Bangladesh.” Aziz was allegedly involved in improperly awarding military contracts and accepting bribes for personal benefit. The State Department said that Aziz’s actions diminished democratic institutions and processes in Bangladesh.

The State Department highlighted the US’s commitment to strengthening democracy in Bangladesh. The department wrote:

[Aziz’s] designation reaffirms the [US’s] commitment to strengthening democratic institutions and rule of law in Bangladesh. The [US] supports anticorruption 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. 

Aziz’s corruption scandal started on February 1, 2021, when Al Jazeera released a documentary, All the Prime Minister’s Men, which revealed how Aziz’s brothers, Haris and Anis Ahmed, both convicted of murder in Bangladesh, were able to escape law enforcement under Aziz’s protection, among others. Aziz denied and denounced the allegations swiftly after the Al Jazeera documentary went viral on social media, claiming that the allegations were false and part of a conspiracy by vested groups. On February 17, 2021, the High Court of Bangladesh ordered the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission to remove All the Prime Minister’s Men from all online and social media platforms. Aziz then retired in June 2021.

At a “Meet the Reporters” event held by Dhaka Reporters Unity on Tuesday, Bangladeshi Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud stated that the US informed the Bangladesh Embassy in Washington DC about the sanctions on Aziz before the public announcement. Aziz himself also responded to the US sanctions on Tuesday during an interview with Ekattor TV, saying that he did not commit any crime that should be punished and calling the sanctions surprising and unfortunate. However, he said he was not minded to pursue any legal actions against the sanctions.