Sanctions had positive impact on society: Prof Ali Riaz

The sanctions on Bangladesh, though imposed on political purposes, had a positive effect on the society, said Ali Riaz, political scientist and Distinguished Professor at Illinois State University at a seminar today.

He was speaking about the sanctions placed on Bangladesh by the United States at a session called "Efficacy of Sanctions in Promoting Peace and Stability" at the Bay of Bengal Conversation seminar organised by the Centre for Governance Studies.

"The sanctions were not imposed only for political purposes. Every nation pursues its own national interests, but it's important to understand if that contributes to the larger good," said Prof Riaz. He stated that the sanctions by the United States on members of law enforcement had a direct effect in reducing extrajudicial killings here.

"In Bangladesh, sanctions have saved lives," he stated.

Vali Golmohammadi, an assistant professor at Tarbait Modares University in Iran, said sanctions are highly influenced by influential players' interests.

"The US has weaponised sanctions against societies at odds with the US," he added.

He claimed that sanctions imposed on Iran haven't affected the states' behaviour but it has affected the people's lives and exposed them to food and drug crises.

Cuihong Cai, a professor at the Centre for American Studies from Fudan University in China said, "On the surface, the primary objective of sanctions is democracy or regime change. The primary goal of US sanctions might be for democracy, but it is ultimately to tackle geopolitical objectives. This can be seen from the kinds of countries they usually sanction -- their geopolitical rivals."

The three-day seminar is being held at the Pan Pacific Hotel Sonargaon in the capital.