Staff Reporter :
A legal notice has been sent to the departments concerned of the government demanding necessary steps to secure the foreign reserves of Bangladesh from any possible sanction by the United States of America (USA) in the future.
The notice also stated that for the interest of the people of Bangladesh, the notice receivers should transfer the foreign reserves to other secured countries and Bangladesh should maintain a small amount of foreign reserve in the US Federal Reserve Bank just to continue the regular operation of commercial activities.
The respondents have been asked to take necessary steps within 30 days from the date of receiving the demand notice, otherwise a writ petition would be filed with the High Court against the notice receivers, read the legal notice. Finance Secretary, Foreign Affairs Secretary and Bangladesh Bank Governor have been asked to comply with the notice.
Md Mahmudul Hasan, a Supreme Court lawyer, sent the notice on Monday following the direction of Article 21(1) of the Constitution of the Republic. In the notice the lawyer said, “Recently the US Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has issued sanctions over the elite force Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and its top-level ex-officials and also ex-Army Chief of Bangladesh. The RAB has a long contribution to safeguard human rights in Bangladesh. This force is very much prompt to take action against human rights violations, illegal drugs, human trafficking, and other violation of the
law.”
The notice said, “During the time of operation against the violation of law, many mistakes might have taken place due to incompetence of intelligence agencies, wrong information, and other human errors. But overall, RAB is a great contributor to upholding the country’s law and order situation.”
“Bangladesh is a very important country in South Asia and geopolitically this country is very much important for the powerful countries. So, Bangladesh has been the subject matter of international politics and the victim of an international conspiracy,” also read the notice.
“Imposing sanctions over the RAB, its ex-officials, and ex-Army Chief of Staff is the subject matter of international politics and conspiracy. This may be the beginning and in near future, more sanctions and more conspiracies may be taken place against Bangladesh.”
“The United States has a long history to block/freeze the foreign reserves, properties of different countries. On the other hand, Bangladesh largely maintains the foreign reserve in the US Federal Reserve Bank.”
“As a part of international politics and conspiracy, in near future, the foreign reserve of Bangladesh in the Federal Reserve Bank of the USA might be blocked or frozen. So, as a preventive measure, it is very much important to secure the foreign reserve of Bangladesh. Otherwise the people of Bangladesh may have to suffer irreparable loss.”
“For the interest of the people of Bangladesh, the notice receivers should transfer the foreign reserves to the secured countries. Bangladesh should maintain a small amount of foreign reserve in the Federal Reserve Bank of the United States of America just to continue the regular operation of Export, Import, and commercial activities.”
