Ahmad Saleem
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ALL THE PRIME MINISTER’S MEN - Bangladesh PM & Army relations with criminal gangs l AJ
- Thread starter Ahmad Saleem
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xyx007
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aljazeera.com
Gang close to Bangladesh PM extracts bribes for state contracts | Corruption News
Al Jazeera Investigative Unit
6-8 minutes
A criminal gang is colluding with Bangladesh’s security forces to extract bribes for state contracts and job positions, all the while maintaining powerful links with the country’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, an Al Jazeera investigation has found.
All the Prime Minister’s Men reveals how Haris and Anis Ahmed, both convicted of murder, are being protected by their brother, a high-ranking military officer, after they fled abroad to escape law enforcement.
Their brother is General Aziz Ahmed, head of the Bangladesh Army and close confidant of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, leader of the ruling Awami League.
During the two-year investigation, Al Jazeera’s Investigative Unit managed to track down Haris and Anis Ahmed, who were found guilty for their involvement in the 1996 murder of Mustafizur Rahman Mustafa, said to be a member of a rival political party, in Dhaka.
Following that murder, both Haris and Anis fled from the authorities and went into hiding abroad.
Do you have information on government corruption or want to share another tip? Contact Al Jazeera’s Investigative Unit on +974 5080 0207 (WhatsApp/Signal), or find other ways to reach out on our Tips page.
Haris, who is still on the country’s list of most wanted criminals, fled to Budapest, Hungary, and has been living there using the assumed identity of Mohammad Hasan.
The second brother, Anis Ahmed, is living in Kuala Lumpur, where he escaped to after his murder conviction was upheld in 2007.
Despite the fact that they are wanted by Bangladesh law enforcement, General Aziz stays in contact with both his brothers.
In March 2019, Haris and Anis even visited Dhaka for the wedding of Aziz’s son, where the two fugitives partied alongside Bangladesh’s President Abdul Hamid and foreign dignitaries during an opulent ceremony.
Haris Ahmed, top, wanted by Bangladesh police, shown with General Aziz Ahmed, bottom, at the Dhaka wedding for General Aziz’ son in 2019. [Al Jazeera] Fake identity
Since his escape from Bangladesh, Haris has been using the fake identity, Mohammad Hasan.
Leaked documents obtained by Al Jazeera reveal how General Aziz used military officers to help Haris create that false identity, which was then used to set up businesses in Europe and buy properties around the world.
Al Jazeera also obtained the fake documentation used to create “Mohammad Hasan’s” passport, which was signed by a person later revealed to be part of a network involved in passport fraud.
Meanwhile, in a series of covert recordings, Haris revealed that the Ahmed clan continues to make money in Bangladesh by selling positions in the national and Dhaka police forces in collusion with senior officers.
He claimed the scheme also involves kickbacks to at least one senior government minister.
“Officer in command at the airport will be a minimum of $625,000 to $1.25m,” Haris can be heard saying.
“The transfer bribe is taken by the home minister, the inspector general and the police commissioner,” he continued.
“If there is a contract for $625,000, we give them $375,000 and the remaining $250,000 will be ours.”
In other recordings, Haris boasts of profits he made from military contracts using his brother’s power as army chief to extract bribes.
He also claims he has the support of the politician he used to protect, saying: “Even the prime minister (Sheikh Hasina) has said: ‘If Haris wants to do something, let him do it. We will help’.”
Al Jazeera also managed to track down the second fugitive Ahmed brother, Anis.
A surveillance team followed General Aziz to Kuala Lumpur, where he and Anis were given a diplomatic escort to the Bangladesh High Commission.
Property records for the house where Anis was staying showed two owners, Anis Ahmed and Mohammad Hasan, Haris Ahmed’s fake identity.
Haris Ahmed’s fake passport, which uses the name Mohammad Hasan. [Al Jazeera] Protection for Sheikh Hasina
The Ahmed clan’s fortunes have been long intertwined with that of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Haris and Anis were Hasina’s bodyguards when her life was threatened during the time she was an opposition politician, and leader of the Awami League, in the 1980s and 1990s.
In a phone recording obtained by Al Jazeera, General Ahmed recounts how Hasina defended the brothers to critical party officials.
“Look, you don’t know better than me who his brothers are. Where were you all… when grenades were thrown in my house?” the general recalled Hasina saying to the critics.
“These things were happening to my house. Where were you? This chief’s brothers (General Aziz Ahmed) were all around me. They were my mainstay.”
Five brothers
In total, the Ahmed clan consisted of five brothers, four of whom ended up in the criminal underworld.
Josef Ahmed, deemed one of the most dangerous criminals in Bangladesh, was sentenced to death for his involvement in the 1996 murder.
However, he was released in May 2018 after a presidential pardon, with the backing of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Weeks later, Hasina appointed General Aziz, Josef’s brother, as head of the Bangladesh army.
The fifth Ahmed brother, Tipu, was killed in a gangland shooting in 1999.
The Investigative Unit contacted all those involved in this investigation, including Bangladesh’s prime minister, home minister, inspector general, police commissioner and all four Ahmed brothers.
They were all invited to respond to the investigation’s findings before release. None did so.
After the release of the investigation, Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement describing Al Jazeera’s findings as a “smear campaign” that was orchestrated by opponents of the regime based abroad.
It dismissed statements made by the brother of Bangladesh’s Chief of Army Staff as baseless and said Haris Ahmed had no links to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina or any other state institution.
In the coming days, Al Jazeera’s Investigative Unit will release several other news stories related to All The Prime Minister’s Men.
The film will be shown on Al Jazeera English on the following times:
Tuesday, February 2: 12.00GMT
Wednesday, February 3: 06.00GMT
Thursday, February 4: 01.00GMT
Friday, February 5: 6.00GMT
Saturday, February 6: 12.00GMT
Sunday, February 7: 20.00GMT
Gang close to Bangladesh PM extracts bribes for state contracts | Corruption News
Al Jazeera Investigative Unit
6-8 minutes
A criminal gang is colluding with Bangladesh’s security forces to extract bribes for state contracts and job positions, all the while maintaining powerful links with the country’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, an Al Jazeera investigation has found.
All the Prime Minister’s Men reveals how Haris and Anis Ahmed, both convicted of murder, are being protected by their brother, a high-ranking military officer, after they fled abroad to escape law enforcement.
Their brother is General Aziz Ahmed, head of the Bangladesh Army and close confidant of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, leader of the ruling Awami League.
During the two-year investigation, Al Jazeera’s Investigative Unit managed to track down Haris and Anis Ahmed, who were found guilty for their involvement in the 1996 murder of Mustafizur Rahman Mustafa, said to be a member of a rival political party, in Dhaka.
Following that murder, both Haris and Anis fled from the authorities and went into hiding abroad.
Do you have information on government corruption or want to share another tip? Contact Al Jazeera’s Investigative Unit on +974 5080 0207 (WhatsApp/Signal), or find other ways to reach out on our Tips page.
Haris, who is still on the country’s list of most wanted criminals, fled to Budapest, Hungary, and has been living there using the assumed identity of Mohammad Hasan.
The second brother, Anis Ahmed, is living in Kuala Lumpur, where he escaped to after his murder conviction was upheld in 2007.
Despite the fact that they are wanted by Bangladesh law enforcement, General Aziz stays in contact with both his brothers.
In March 2019, Haris and Anis even visited Dhaka for the wedding of Aziz’s son, where the two fugitives partied alongside Bangladesh’s President Abdul Hamid and foreign dignitaries during an opulent ceremony.
Since his escape from Bangladesh, Haris has been using the fake identity, Mohammad Hasan.
Leaked documents obtained by Al Jazeera reveal how General Aziz used military officers to help Haris create that false identity, which was then used to set up businesses in Europe and buy properties around the world.
Al Jazeera also obtained the fake documentation used to create “Mohammad Hasan’s” passport, which was signed by a person later revealed to be part of a network involved in passport fraud.
Meanwhile, in a series of covert recordings, Haris revealed that the Ahmed clan continues to make money in Bangladesh by selling positions in the national and Dhaka police forces in collusion with senior officers.
He claimed the scheme also involves kickbacks to at least one senior government minister.
“Officer in command at the airport will be a minimum of $625,000 to $1.25m,” Haris can be heard saying.
“The transfer bribe is taken by the home minister, the inspector general and the police commissioner,” he continued.
“If there is a contract for $625,000, we give them $375,000 and the remaining $250,000 will be ours.”
In other recordings, Haris boasts of profits he made from military contracts using his brother’s power as army chief to extract bribes.
He also claims he has the support of the politician he used to protect, saying: “Even the prime minister (Sheikh Hasina) has said: ‘If Haris wants to do something, let him do it. We will help’.”
Al Jazeera also managed to track down the second fugitive Ahmed brother, Anis.
A surveillance team followed General Aziz to Kuala Lumpur, where he and Anis were given a diplomatic escort to the Bangladesh High Commission.
Property records for the house where Anis was staying showed two owners, Anis Ahmed and Mohammad Hasan, Haris Ahmed’s fake identity.
The Ahmed clan’s fortunes have been long intertwined with that of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Haris and Anis were Hasina’s bodyguards when her life was threatened during the time she was an opposition politician, and leader of the Awami League, in the 1980s and 1990s.
In a phone recording obtained by Al Jazeera, General Ahmed recounts how Hasina defended the brothers to critical party officials.
“Look, you don’t know better than me who his brothers are. Where were you all… when grenades were thrown in my house?” the general recalled Hasina saying to the critics.
“These things were happening to my house. Where were you? This chief’s brothers (General Aziz Ahmed) were all around me. They were my mainstay.”
Five brothers
In total, the Ahmed clan consisted of five brothers, four of whom ended up in the criminal underworld.
Josef Ahmed, deemed one of the most dangerous criminals in Bangladesh, was sentenced to death for his involvement in the 1996 murder.
However, he was released in May 2018 after a presidential pardon, with the backing of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Weeks later, Hasina appointed General Aziz, Josef’s brother, as head of the Bangladesh army.
The fifth Ahmed brother, Tipu, was killed in a gangland shooting in 1999.
The Investigative Unit contacted all those involved in this investigation, including Bangladesh’s prime minister, home minister, inspector general, police commissioner and all four Ahmed brothers.
They were all invited to respond to the investigation’s findings before release. None did so.
After the release of the investigation, Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement describing Al Jazeera’s findings as a “smear campaign” that was orchestrated by opponents of the regime based abroad.
It dismissed statements made by the brother of Bangladesh’s Chief of Army Staff as baseless and said Haris Ahmed had no links to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina or any other state institution.
In the coming days, Al Jazeera’s Investigative Unit will release several other news stories related to All The Prime Minister’s Men.
The film will be shown on Al Jazeera English on the following times:
Tuesday, February 2: 12.00GMT
Wednesday, February 3: 06.00GMT
Thursday, February 4: 01.00GMT
Friday, February 5: 6.00GMT
Saturday, February 6: 12.00GMT
Sunday, February 7: 20.00GMT
Hakikat ve Hikmet
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Welcome to the BD's Deep State......
Salman Baig
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Al Jazeera’s Investigative Unit (I-Unit) exposes how a former street mafia claims to have captured a state. The brother of Bangladesh’s army chief boasts that he can use police and paramilitary units to abduct rivals and earn millions in bribes.
Documents obtained by the I-Unit reveal how that head of the army helped his brother, a convicted killer, flee to Europe and evade justice. The investigation shows how the general aids his brother to purchase properties and businesses abroad, while moving money across European borders using a false passport.
Bangladesh’s most senior military officer, General Aziz Ahmed, has three brothers who were convicted of murdering a political rival to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in 1996. One brother served 20 years in jail and was recently given a highly unusual presidential pardon.
The I-Unit obtained secret phone recordings where General Ahmed describes how his brothers acted as personal security for Sheikh Hasina in the 1980s and 90s. The general describes an unbreakable bond of loyalty that has developed between his brothers and Bangladesh’s leader.
After their conviction, two other brothers fled abroad. The I-Unit tracked them down.
Haris Ahmed was living under a false identity in Europe. In undercover recordings, he reveals how huge profits are made from bribes for military contracts or senior posts in the Bangladesh police. It’s a system of graft that implicates senior officers in the nation’s police and government circles.
Haris claims he operates with the full support of the politician he used to protect: “Even the Prime Minister has said; ‘if Haris wants to do something let him do it. We will help’.”
I-Unit surveillance teams discovered the second fugitive brother, Anis Ahmed, after following General Aziz Ahmed during a trip to Malaysia. All four brothers gathered for a reunion, and diplomatic vehicles drove them for an evening spent at the Bangladesh High Commission in Kuala Lumpur.
As Shiekh Hasina’s government erodes democracy and arrests opponents, the investigation also reveals that Bangladesh has secretly purchased mobile phone intercept systems from Israel, a country it does not officially recognize. Israeli intelligence experts trained officers from Bangladesh’s DGFI (military intelligence service) in a secret location in Budapest. The contract exposes how Bangladesh hid the Israeli origins of the spyware by claiming it is manufactured in Hungary.
The Investigative Unit contacted all those involved – including Bangladesh’s Prime Minister, Home Minister, Inspector General, Police Commissioner and all four Ahmed Brothers - inviting them to respond to its findings. None provided a response to our inquiries.
Link:
network.aljazeera.net
Documents obtained by the I-Unit reveal how that head of the army helped his brother, a convicted killer, flee to Europe and evade justice. The investigation shows how the general aids his brother to purchase properties and businesses abroad, while moving money across European borders using a false passport.
Bangladesh’s most senior military officer, General Aziz Ahmed, has three brothers who were convicted of murdering a political rival to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in 1996. One brother served 20 years in jail and was recently given a highly unusual presidential pardon.
The I-Unit obtained secret phone recordings where General Ahmed describes how his brothers acted as personal security for Sheikh Hasina in the 1980s and 90s. The general describes an unbreakable bond of loyalty that has developed between his brothers and Bangladesh’s leader.
After their conviction, two other brothers fled abroad. The I-Unit tracked them down.
Haris Ahmed was living under a false identity in Europe. In undercover recordings, he reveals how huge profits are made from bribes for military contracts or senior posts in the Bangladesh police. It’s a system of graft that implicates senior officers in the nation’s police and government circles.
Haris claims he operates with the full support of the politician he used to protect: “Even the Prime Minister has said; ‘if Haris wants to do something let him do it. We will help’.”
I-Unit surveillance teams discovered the second fugitive brother, Anis Ahmed, after following General Aziz Ahmed during a trip to Malaysia. All four brothers gathered for a reunion, and diplomatic vehicles drove them for an evening spent at the Bangladesh High Commission in Kuala Lumpur.
As Shiekh Hasina’s government erodes democracy and arrests opponents, the investigation also reveals that Bangladesh has secretly purchased mobile phone intercept systems from Israel, a country it does not officially recognize. Israeli intelligence experts trained officers from Bangladesh’s DGFI (military intelligence service) in a secret location in Budapest. The contract exposes how Bangladesh hid the Israeli origins of the spyware by claiming it is manufactured in Hungary.
The Investigative Unit contacted all those involved – including Bangladesh’s Prime Minister, Home Minister, Inspector General, Police Commissioner and all four Ahmed Brothers - inviting them to respond to its findings. None provided a response to our inquiries.
Link:
ALL THE PRIME MINISTER’S MEN | Al Jazeera Media Network
Al Jazeera’s Investigative Unit (I-Unit) exposes how a former street mafia claims to have captured a state. The brother of Bangladesh’s army chief boasts that he can use police and paramilitary units to abduct rivals and earn millions in bribes. Documents obtained by the I-Unit reveal how that...
Because public memory is short. No one will call him out after 5 years.
Verve
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@The Eagle @WebMaster - AoA. I did search before starting the thread however nothing similar to the actual title of the documentary came up. Will try generic search next time.
The Eagle
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The reason why I sent a soft reminder. No porblem.
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