Two brothers of Aziz got e-passports too with false information

National identity cards (NID) and passports of two brothers of former army chief general (retd) Aziz Ahmed made with false information were not cancelled.

The department of immigration and passports rather issued e-passports valid for 10 years to the brothers.  

Several officials of election commission and passport department said former army chief’s two brothers’ Haris Ahmed and Tofail Ahmed Josef had their NID cards and passports made with their own pictures but different names and addresses and the passport is valid till 13 September, 2030. These passports are the e-passports provided by the department with a validity period of 10 years.

Reports were published in media about this fraudulence in the past. However, officials with knowledge said action against this criminal offence was not taken into consideration for once since the persons were brothers of a powerful person.

As per information provided by the officials, Haris and Josef also availed passports of Antigua and Barbuda using the same names. Validity of the passports will expire in May and September this year.

Prothom Alo investigation reveals that although the two brothers used their own pictures in their electronic passports, they changed the names of their parents. They had their NIDs and passports made with different addresses. According to the rules, a person has to be present in person and get their photograph taken when getting their NID and passport issued.  

Asked why the NIDs of two brothers were not canceled despite the fact of their providing false information was known, the chief election commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal said, “I don’t exactly know the matter. But if anyone makes any such allegation or application, then the commission would definitely take action. Legal action is taken upon investigation if anyone makes passport by providing false information.”

Haris Ahmed got his NID and passport in the name of Mohammad Hasan. Passport department sources said he received his e-passport within 12 days of applying for it on 8 August in 2020.  But he had a machine readable passport (MRP) at that time, which was issued in 2017 and was valid up to 2022. Haris got an e-passport in a different name at a time when his MRP had valid for two more years. He collected that e-passport from Agargaon upon paying fee through Trust Bank.  Haris Ahmed’s father’s name was recorded as Suleman Sarkar and mother’s name Rahela Begum in the NID and passport. He mentioned the name of Fatema Begum for emergency contact and mentioned R-28 Nurjehan Road, Mohammadpur, as his present address.

Passport department sources said Haris had his first passport issued in the name of Mohammad Hasan on 19 February 2014 from the Agargaon office in Dhaka. The emergency contact was given as Fatima Begum, R-28 Nurjehan Road, Mohammadpur. In 2019 he changed his picture on the passport.

Another brother Josef got his NID and e-passport in the name of Tanveer Ahmed Tanzil. His father’s name was recorded as Suleman Sarkar and mother’s name Fatema Begum in the NID and passport. He applied for passport on 10 March in 2020 and received it on 20 March. Jesef also had a machine readable passport with validity till 2023 but received an e-passport three years before the MRP’s expiry. He also paid the fee through Trust Bank but received the passport from Dhaka Cantonment passport office.

The same source said that Josef first got his first passport on 13 May 2018 in the name of Tanveer Ahmed Tanzil. The permanent address given there was 123/A Tejkunipara, Tejgaon, Dhaka. And his present address was 40 Khanpur, Narayanganj. His marital status was unmarried. On 4 June that year he amended his passport, adding his wife’s name. In 2019 he changed his permanent address on the passport. On 9 March 2020 he got an e-passport. In this he changed his picture, permanent address and emergency contact address.

In the records of several police stations and courts of the country as well as in the appeal made by Josef’s mother to pardon him, and in the government gazette notification acquitting them of their sentences, Haris and Josef’s father’s name had been recorded as Abdul Wadud and mother's name as Renuja Begum.

Parmanent and current addresses of two brothers have also been showen different.

In the court records and the government gazette notification, Anis and Josef’s address is given as D/9 Nurjehan Road, Mohammadpur, Dhaka 1207. But in Haris’ NID, made out in the name of Mohammad Hasan, his permanent address is given as Matlab Uttar upazila, Chandpur, and present address House 28, D-1 Block, Nurjehan Road, Mohammadpur, Dhaka.

In Josef’s NID, made out in the name of Tanveer Ahmed Tanzil, his present address is in Mirpur DOHS. And permanent address is given as a house in Cantonment Bazar, Dhaka.

When asked about making NID and passport with fake information, home minister Asaduzzaman Khan, speaking to Prothom Alo, said, "I can talk on this after dicussing with the high-ups."

Haris and Josef were both convicted for murder, one with a death sentence and other with life-term imprisonment. Anis Ahmed was sentenced to life imprisonment for murder. The home ministry on 28 March 2019 issued a gazette notification, remitting Haris and Anis’ sentences. Earlier, following an appeal by his mother Renuja Begum, Josef was granted presidential pardon. Josef had been in jail at the time.

In February 2021, Qatar-based TV channel Al-Jazeera published a news documentary 'All the prime ministers' men' and referred to Haris and Anis as fugitive criminals.

However, the lead report of Prothom Alo at that time revealed that their sentence had been remitted.

According to the NID registration act, it is a punishable offence to intentionally or with ulterior motives, to provide false or distorted information or to conceal information to get a national ID card. The penalty for such an offence is a maximum sentence of one year imprisonment or a fine of Tk 20,000 or both. According to Section 18 of this act, if any person forges his NID or intentionally carries that NID, he will be sentenced to seven years' imprisonment and maximum fine of Tk 100,000.

And, according to the Section 11 of the passport ordinance, it is a punishable offence if anyone intentionally provides false information or conceals the actual information and has a passport issued in a different name. The maximum sentence for such an offence is six months imprisonment or Tk 2000 fine.

A person's birth certificate and citizenship certificate are required to get an NID. These carry the person’s name and the person’s parents’ names. Based on that, personal information is added to the NID. So if an NID is to be made under a false name, then these two certificates will also have to carry false information.

According to the birth and death registration act, there is provision for a maximum fine of Tk 5000 or a maximum sentence of one year imprisonment or both if false information is provided concerning birth or death registration.

Aziz Ahmed took offie as the army chief on 25 June 2018 and continued till 23 June 2021. The United States on Monday imposed sanctions on former army chief General Aziz Ahmed on allegation of his involvement in corruption.

It said this action renders Aziz and his immediate family members generally ineligible for entry into the US.

When Aziz Ahmed was the army chief, with his influence, his brothers made NIDs and passports with fake information.

And in this regard, reports were published at different media outlets including Prothom Alo at home and abroad. Prothom Alo pubished several reports since acquitting of Josef till leaving the country.

Prothom Alo published a report titled 'NID and passports made with false information' on 18 February 2021.