3 ministers to discuss with US authorities

Three ministers will discuss with the United States (US) authorities over the recent imposition of human rights-related sanctions on Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) personnel, said Cabinet secretary Khandakar Anowarul Islam on Monday.

The three ministers were Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, Law Minister Anisul Huq and Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen, he said at a press briefing in the secretariat after concluding a cabinet meeting chaired by the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina virtually.

On December 10, the US imposed human rights related sanctions on Benzir Ahmed, current Inspector General of the Bangladesh Police and former Director General of Bangladesh’s Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and six other individuals on the occasion of International Human Rights Day. US Departments of Treasury and of State separately issued the sanctions.

“Already, home minister, land minister and foreign minister have been directed to discuss with US authorities over the sanctions”, he said while responding to a question of journalists.

Earlier, the US Department of State announced visa restrictions on Benazir Ahmed where it said due to his “involvement in gross violations of human rights” made him ineligible for entry into the United States.

RAB as an entity, Benzir Ahmed, and six other officials were designated by the Department of the Treasury under the Global Magnitsky sanctions programme in connection with serious human rights abuse, said the US Department of State.

Miftah Uddin Ahmed, Lieutenant Colonel and former commanding officer of RAB Unit 7, was designated, according to the US Department of State.

The US Department of State mentioned the May 2018 “extrajudicial killing” of Teknaf City Municipal Councilor Ekramul Haque in Teknaf, Cox’s Bazar District, according to UNB.

The following individuals are designated pursuant to Executive Order (EO) 13818: Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, Director General, RAB, Benzir Ahmed, former Director General, RAB, January 2015 to April 14, 2020, Khan Mohammad Azad, Additional Director General (Operations), RAB, March 16, 2021 to present, Tofayel Mustafa Sorwar, former Additional Director General (Operations), RAB, June 27, 2019 to March 16, 2021, Mohammad Jahangir Alam, former Additional Director General (Operations), RAB, September 17, 2018 to June 27, 2019 and Mohammad Anwar Latif Khan, former Additional Director General (Operations), RAB, April 28, 2016 to September 17, 2018, according to the US Department of Treasury.

The EO 13818 means blocking of property in the US. It is the first time individuals or entities from Bangladesh have been the subject of US sanctions.

They were announced as part of a raft of new rights-abuse sanctions on senior officials and entities in eight countries, with targets ranging from a Chinese firm specializing in facial recognition technology to a giant cartoon studio in North Korea.

The measure was partly supported by the UK and Canada, although not in the case of the Bangladeshi officials or RAB.

Besides, in a separate letter, US visa of former Army chief General Aziz Ahmed was also cancelled.