The United States on Friday imposed financial sanctions and visa bans on the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), its seven former and current officials over human rights. Officials and entities in nine countries, including Bangladesh, came under sanctions as part of coordinated actions on the International Human Rights Day. According to national and transnational media reports on Saturday, Canada and the United Kingdom joined with the US in imposing human rights-related sanctions on Bangladesh’s Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and seven current and former top officials of the agency, including Benazir Ahmed, its former chief for “serious human rights abuse”. Other countries include China, Myanmar, North Korea and Russia.
Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal on Saturday disowned the allegation of human rights violation made by the United States against the RAB force and its officials. The decision of imposing the sanctions was not taken objectively, rather it was based on exaggerated news sources, he said while talking to media on the sidelines of an event in the capital. “Every incident however is investigated by a magistrate if any organisation is accused of human rights violations in Bangladesh,” the minister said. In an instant reaction, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the US envoy in Dhaka Earl Miller. There have been widespread allegations that members of RAB and other law enforcement agencies are responsible for more than 600 disappearances since 2009, nearly 600 extrajudicial killings since 2018, and torture. Some reports suggest these incidents targeted opposition party members, journalists, and human rights activists.
What is not understood by incompetent government ministers is that nothing about vile actions can be kept secret. Other countries know more about what is happening in Bangladesh than even our ministers know. We have tried to caution the government that our news media may be frightened but no information remains unknown to the world outside. Bangladesh is no longer counted among the democratic countries. This means that the government is not counted as an elected government. Is it possible for the government to deny election robbery with the help of the police?
Blame taken by the RAB officials and others is due to the fact that they ignored the people as public servants and obeyed blindly the government orders. As educated and well trained high officials they should have known that they are part of the world and to the world they are accountable. Whatever the ministers say, let them judge how respectful they were about human rights of their own people.
To the corrupt ones our suggestion is bring back the money. They will not be safe because their huge illegal money is in outside banks. They or their children will not be able to use that money.
It is to be mentioned that US President Joe Biden gathered over 100 world leaders at a virtual summit for Democracy on December 9-10 and made a plea to bolster democracies around the world, calling for safeguarding rights and freedoms in the face of rising authoritarianism, the “defining challenge” of the current era. India, Nepal and Pakistan were invited to the summit from South Asia while Bangladesh was excluded from it.
The government should not ignore the world and everything goes. Bangladesh is dependent on Western democracies in many ways including recruiting security officials for peace keeping project of the United Nations
We wish the government to change their ways and think of the people as sovereign in public affairs. The ministers are of no influence internationally.
The US determination to help democracy worldwide should be taken seriously as a peaceful way out. In the end the police power cannot save an unpopular government. All the institutions of good governance are tatters.
