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US Sanctions On RAB Remain: State Department

The US State Department || Photo: Collected

The US State Department || Photo: Collected

In a recent briefing at the US Department of State, Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel reiterated that the sanctions imposed on Bangladesh's elite force RAB by the United States are not being lifted, stating, "Those claims are false. The U.S. is not withdrawing sanctions against the RAB." Patel emphasized that sanctions are aimed at influencing behavior and promoting accountability.

Salman Fazlur Rahman, the PM's Private Industry and Investment Adviser, clarified that no official from the Bangladeshi government had asserted that the US was withdrawing the sanctions. He explained, "The issue is with the US Department of Justice which is independent and separate from the White House and the State Department. They work independently." Rahman noted that while the White House and the US Department of State are inclined to lift the sanctions on RAB, the decision ultimately rests with the Department of Justice.

During a recent visit to Dhaka, US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, Donald Lu, aimed to "strengthen bilateral cooperation" with Bangladesh.

Regarding the issue of sanctions, Salman Fazlur Rahman stated, "The issue is moving through a process." He highlighted discussions held during a dinner meeting with Lu, stating, "We had quite a good discussion about the Rab. If you have seen the statement this week by the Human Rights Watch, they recognised and we recognised tremendous progress in the area of reducing extra judicial killings by the Rab." Rahman further quoted Lu praising the progress made by RAB in respecting human rights while carrying out its counterterrorism and law enforcement responsibilities, stating, "This is amazing work. It shows that Rab is able to carry out its important counterterrorism and law enforcement function while respecting human rights."

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