Bangladesh remains out of new US, UK sanctions

The fresh sanction by the US and the UK against individuals or entities connected to corruption or human rights abuse did not include any Bangladeshi individual or organisation.

Ahead of International Human Rights Day, the two countries imposed sanctions on 70 individuals and organisations across 20 countries on Friday.

There were speculations in the Bangladeshi political arena that the lists might include Bangladesh as the country’s political situation got heated up, but this time no sanction from both the most powerful nations.

The US Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has designated 40 individuals and entities connected to alleged human rights abuse or corruption across nine countries, including Russia, China and Iran.

Washington imposed sanctions on Russia’s Central Election Commission, accusing it of helping to oversee and monitor what the United States said are “sham referendums” held in Russia-controlled areas of Ukraine, as well as 15 of its members.

The Treasury also took action against four people it accused of being directly involved in Russia’s filtration operations. The State Department designated two Russian nationals over alleged human rights abuse against Ukrainian civilians.

Russia has been accused of numerous war crimes since its invasion of Ukraine in February, including operating a system of so-called filtration camps to move Ukrainians in occupied areas into Russia.

Russia has denied the allegations and accused Ukraine and its backers in the West of a smear campaign.

The Treasury also slapped sanctions on two Chinese officials it accused of serious human rights abuses in China’s Tibet region: Wu Yingjie, the Chinese Communist Party chief in Tibet between 2016 and 2021, and Zhang Hongbo, a senior public security official in the region.

Chinese authorities have been accused of harsh policies to quell ethnic dissent and control religious activities in Tibet - accusations that China dismisses.

Friday’s action also imposed sanctions on Iranian officials over the crackdown on protesters, North Korea’s Ministry of State Security Border Guard General Bureau and Alpha Conde, the former president of Guinea, as well as other people and entities in El Salvador, the Philippines, Mali and Guatemala.

Friday’s move freezes any US assets of those designated and generally bars Americans from dealing with them.

UK’s Foreign Secretary James Cleverly also on Friday announced a new wave of sanctions that targets corrupt actors, and those violating and abusing human rights, as well as perpetrators of sexual violence in conflict.

This wave, coordinated with international partners, marks International Anti-Corruption Day and Human Rights Day.

The package includes individuals and entities involved in a wide range of grievous activities – including the torture of prisoners, the mobilisation of troops to rape civilians, and systematic atrocities.

These sanctions demonstrate the UK’s commitment to defend free societies and the human rights of everyone, everywhere.