Bangladesh Reacts over US Sanctions against 7 RAB Officials

Earl Robert Miller, the US ambassador to Dhaka, has been summoned in connection with the imposition of sanctions on seven former and current officers of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) for alleged human rights violations. Dhaka has expressed frustration, dissatisfaction and concern over the unilateral ban on RAB officials without any discussion.

This information has been given in a notification sent from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Saturday (December 11).

A statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, "Secretary of Foreign Affairs Masud bin Momen has summoned Miller to express his displeasure over the sanctions imposed by the US Treasury and State Department on some current and former RAB officials."

"Bangladesh is disappointed that the US administration has taken this decision unilaterally without any prior consultation with the Bangladesh government," he said. He lamented that the US government had decided to weaken an organization that was at the forefront of the fight against terrorism, drug trafficking and other transnational crimes. The agency has been working closely with the US administration.

The Foreign Secretary further regrets that the allegations against the RAB have been explained for certain incidents. This has been explained not only to the US administration for the relevant justice and accountability system, but also to the UN human rights system more than once. The issues cited for the sanctions are under discussion.

The statement added, "The United States administration appears to have made the decision based on unsubstantiated allegations of command rather than specific incidents at the local level."

The Government of Bangladesh is committed to upholding the rule of law and human rights, the statement said. The Foreign Secretary told the Ambassador that all the uniformed service providers in Bangladesh follow legal and administrative procedures to deal with allegations of injustice against any member, and RAB is no exception.

Law enforcement agencies in many countries, including the United States, have reportedly been subjected to human rights abuses and abuse of power. However, it would not be fair to target high-ranking law enforcement officials alone for the ban.

The State Department said in a statement that US Ambassador Miller noted the concerns raised by the Bangladeshi government and assured his administration. The Ambassador said that the excellent multilateral relations between the two countries could be further deepened through constructive consultation process and high level visits. The ambassador also said that the US government would work closely with the Bangladesh government in the coming days for mutual benefit.