US slaps sanctions on Aziz due to corruption: Fakhrul

Bangladesh Nationalist Party secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Alamgir has said that the US has slapped sanctions on former chief of army staff General (rtd) Aziz Ahmed due to his corruption.

The BNP secretary general made the remark at a discussion organised by the Jatiya Ganatantrik Party (Jagpa) at the Dhaka Reporters Unity auditorium to mark the seventh death anniversary of the party’s founding president, Shafiul Alam Pradhan.

The US made the announcement of imposing sanctions on Aziz Ahmed and his family from entering the country in a statement published on the website of the US State Department on Monday local time.

The US State Department cited corruption as the reason behind imposing the sanction on him.

The BNP secretary general said, “We are campaigning against corruption allegations thousands of times. The entire world said. They (the government) had always denied it. Now the US has imposed sanctions on the former army chief and his family.”

The BNP secretary general further said, “Aziz Ahmed has been sanctioned for corruption and influencing democratic organisations. We tried to bring the issue to the fore.”

Addressing the government, Mirza Fakhrul further said, “You have used the state, army, judiciary and the administration. You have established a reign of terror.”

The BNP leader said, “No one will help solve your own problems. Many will be happy hearing about the sanction imposed on Aziz Ahmed. I think it’s confusing. We are being confused all the time. Do the sanctions on the RAB (Rapid Action Battalion) stop them from doing what they were doing? We have to beat them with their own force.”

“Where are the youths now? Don’t they feel anything even after seeing their country being destroyed? It’s their country, it’s their future.”

Speaking regarding their attempt to topple the government, the BNP secretary general said, “Why would we topple the government? We want our rights to vote back. We want to defeat them through elections. We are ready to sacrifice even more if it’s needed.”

Speaking regarding their alliance, Mirza Fakhrul said they were working with the alliance. They are eyeing to make the alliance further united.

Jagpa president Khandaker Lutfor Rahman presided over the meeting.