Withdraw sanction on RAB, extradite Rashed: Momen to Blinken
“We have a very good discussion with the Secretary of State (Blinken),” Momen told media emerging from the meeting marking the 50-year bilateral relations between Bangladesh and USA at Department of State in Washington DC on Monday, reports BSS.
Bangladesh foreign minister said Blinken, in his opening remark, stated that Washington is willing to work together with Dhaka on “strengthening more the partnership between the US and Bangladesh”.
Bangladesh became a model of development and Washington is really looking forward to starting work together of the next 50 years to strengthen the partnership between the two countries, Dr Momen quoted his US counterpart as saying.
Momen told Blinken that 50 years back there was a fear Bangladesh would be a bottomless basket, but now Bangladesh became a land of opportunity.
Sanction on RAB
The foreign minister said he urged the US side to withdraw the sanction on Rab and on some of its current and former officials as this elite force played an important role in countering terrorism and checking drug trafficking in Bangladesh.
“I told them that we have taken all the remedial matters (to address the issue of violating human rights),” he said, adding that he also informed, in last four months there was no killing by RAB.
Momen said RAB might sometimes have done some excesses but there is an in-built system for accountability and the government took action against those who did wrong.
He also informed that there were major problems of militancy and terrorist activities in Bangladesh while a grenade attack on an Awami League rally killed 24 people and left more than 300 injured.
Secretary Blinken expressed satisfaction over the RAB performance in last four years and said there is a certain process to withdraw the sanction, Dr Momen said.
