TDS DESK:

The Election Commission (EC) is investigating the incident of getting NID of Aziz Ahmed’s two brothers with false information. For this, a committee of three members has been formed on Sunday (June 9).

Not only the NID, but Aziz Ahmed’s two brothers also created passports with false information. Even their wives did the same. It was during Aziz Ahmed’s tenure as the army chief that his brothers were powered by his influence in getting NID and passports based on false information.

Making a NID (National Identity Card) with false information and making multiple NIDs are both punishable offenses. Harish Ahmed and Tofail Ahmed alias Joseph, the two brothers of former army chief General (retd) Aziz Ahmed, committed both crimes.

Aziz Ahmed’s two brothers, Harish Ahmed and Tofail Ahmed alias Joseph, collected NID by changing their names as well as their parents’ names. Tofail has taken two NIDs – one as his real name and the other as Tanveer Ahmed Tanjeel. Harish Ahmed also made NID as Mohammad Hasan – he changed his picture in that NID in 2019. The then army chief Aziz Ahmed recommended changing the pictures of the two brothers.

About Tofail’s two NIDs and Aziz Ahmed’s reference to change Harish’s picture, the concerned sources say that the EC discussed the matter after the news was published in the media. Meanwhile, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) also sent a letter to the EC in this regard. Later, a three-member inquiry committee headed by an EC joint secretary was formed.

EC Secretary Shafiul Azim said that they received a letter from ACC. A committee has been formed to investigate the complaint.

Several police station and court documents of the country, along with their mother’s petition for remission of sentence (for Joseph), along with the official notification of remission of sentence, Harish and Joseph’s father’s name is mentioned as Abdul Wadud and mother’s name as Renuza Begum. However, in the NID and passport that Harish took, the father’s name is mentioned as Suleman Sarkar and the mother’s name as Rahela Begum.

However, in Joseph’s NID and passport, he was named Tanjeel, his father’s name is mentioned as Solaiman Sarkar and his mother’s as Fatema Begum. However, in the NID of Tofail’s real name, the father’s name is Abdul Wadud and the mother’s name is Renuza Begum. Joseph has shown his educational qualification till class VIII and his profession shows as a businessman.

Former army chief General (retd) Aziz Ahmed’s brother Harish was convicted to life term in two murder cases and another brother Anis was convicted to life in one murder case. On 28 March 2019, the Ministry of Home Affairs issued a notification “waiving” their sentences.

In 1996, Joseph was accused in the murder case of Mohammadpur businessman Mostafizur Rahman. The court sentenced him to death in this case. The High Court upheld this verdict. Later, the Appellate Division reduced the sentence to life imprisonment. In 2018, top terrorist Tofail Ahmed alias Joseph, who was sentenced to life, was released on a “presidential pardon”.

Aziz Ahmed was the Army Chief from 25 June 2018 to 23 June 2021. The United States recently imposed sanctions on the former army chief on charges of involvement in corruption. As a result, he and his family members are ineligible to enter the United States.