The Anti-Corruption Commission on Thursday ordered its scrutiny cell to scrutinise corruption allegations submitted against former army chief General Aziz Ahmed.
鈥榃e discussed the allegations against former army chief Aziz Ahmed in today鈥檚 [Thursday] meeting of the commission,鈥� ACC chairman Mohammad Moinuddin Abdullah told 抖阴精品.
鈥楢fter discussing the matter in our meeting, we asked聽 the three-member scrutiny cell of the commission to scrutinise the allegations following rules and regulations and present them before the commission,鈥� he added.
Supreme Court lawyer Salah Uddin Reagan filed a petition with the ACC on Wednesday seeking an inquiry into the alleged corruption of former army chief Aziz.
According to the lawyer鈥檚 application, the United States sanctions against Aziz on corruption charges and the reports published in national daily newspapers have damaged the image of the Bangladesh Army and Bangladesh nationally and internationally.
Reagan called the ACC鈥檚 reluctance to launch an investigation against Aziz after such a big complaint unfortunate.
On May 21, the United States Department of State 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 鈥榮ignificant corruption鈥�.
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.
Speaking about the matter a day after the US announcement, foreign minister Hasan Mahmud insisted that Bangladesh was earlier informed about the decision by the US authorities and that he would not make further comment on it since it was a matter of the Bangladesh Army.
鈥楬is actions have contributed to the undermining of Bangladesh鈥檚 democratic institutions and the public鈥檚 faith in public institutions and processes,鈥� 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.
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.
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鈥檚 January 7 general elections.
Aziz was Bangladesh鈥檚 army chief between 2018 and 2021.