An investigation has been initiated into the alleged passport and NID card forgery against former army chief general Aziz Ahmed’s siblings Haris Ahmed and Tofael Ahmed.
The Anti-Corruption Commission sent letters to the Election Commission and the Department of Immigration and Passports in the past week to investigate the allegations, said commission chairman Mohammad Moinuddin Abdullah on Monday.
The Election Commission on Sunday formed a committee with three members of its National Identity Card wing to investigate how Haris and Tofael, also known as Joseph, obtained NID cards using false information, chief election commissioner Kazi
Habibul Awal told journalists on Monday.
He said, ‘The NID has a technical side. There may be loopholes in this technology, but if only 0.01 per cent people abuse it, efforts should be made to bring them to justice.’
No investigation has, however, been initiated into the alleged forgery by former inspector general of police Benazir Ahmed in obtaining ordinary passport despite being a public servant.
ACC lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan told New Age, ‘Now the ACC is conducting an inquiry into the allegations brought against Benazir Ahmed over amassing wealth and money laundering.’
The commission will also take further step if its inquiry finds other anomalies such as irregularities in obtaining passport, he said.
Recent reports suggested that Haris used the alias Mohammad Hasan to obtain an NID card, falsely listing Suleman Sarkar and Rahela Begum as his parents.
Additionally, he changed his photo on his NID card in 2019, with the recommendation for the change coming from his brother Aziz Ahmed when he was the army chief.
Tofael Ahmed, alias Joseph, possessed two NID cards—one under his actual name with parents listed as Abdul Wadud and Renuja Begum, and another under the name Tanvir Ahmed Tanjeel, with different parent names.
The ACC is also scrutinising allegations of corruption against retired general Aziz Ahmed following a petition submitted by a lawyer recently.
This development came after the United States had imposed sanctions on Aziz Ahmed and his immediate family members on May 21, citing his alleged involvement in serious corruption.
Aziz served as the chief of army staff from June 2018 to June 2021 and also led the Border Guard Bangladesh from 2012 to 2016.
Aziz, the eldest among five brothers, had siblings who made headlines for criminal activities of murder, extortion and illegal possession of firearms during the 1990s and 2000s.
Joseph, in particular, was implicated in ten cases related to extortion and illegal firearms possession.
In 2004, Joseph was sentenced to death, while Haris and another brother, Anis, received life imprisonment in a murder case.
The spotlight intensified on Aziz Ahmed when Joseph was granted clemency in the murder case in 2018, followed by similar actions for Haris and Anis in 2019.
An Al-Jazeera documentary ‘All the prime minister’s men,’ aired on February 1, 2021, alleged that Aziz misused his influence to secure contracts for his convicted brothers.
However, both the army headquarters and foreign ministry dismissed these allegations as false and defamatory.
The National Identity Registration Act 2010 stipulates penalties for providing false information to obtain an NID card, including imprisonment for up to one year, a fine of Tk 20,000, or both.
Furthermore, forging or knowingly possessing a forged NID card carries a punishment of up to seven years in prison or a fine of up to Tk 1,00,000. Anyone aiding in the forgery of NID cards is subject to the same penalties.
Regarding the allegations against Benazir and his family, the ACC based on a media report decided on April 18 to investigate the allegations of amassing illegal wealth by Benazir and his family.
Benazir and the family, however, reportedly left the country on May 4 amid the allegations of acquiring illegal wealth and money laundering.
On December 10, 2021, the United States declared then police chief Benazir ineligible for entry to the country for ‘gross violations of human rights’ while serving as the battalion director general.
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