US-Bangladesh ties not clouded by sanctions on RAB: US official
A US official today said the bilateral ties between the US and Bangladesh are based on shared values of human rights, democracy, security and development, adding that the recent sanctions on Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) have not clouded it.
The US wants to take forward its bilateral ties with Bangladesh, US Embassy Public Affairs Counselor Sean J Mcintosh said.
He turned down the perception that the US sanctions on RAB and some of its officials have clouded the country's overall relationship with Bangladesh.
"We don't want that type of relationship. We are so able to move forward on our mutual values of interests…I think we will do that," he said at a discussion on Bangladesh-US relationship today, jointly organised by the Central Foundation for International and Strategic Studies (CFISS) and Dhaka Tribune at a hotel in the capital.
In every relationship, there are going to be agreements and some disagreements, he said, adding that a disagreement means there is an opportunity for them to come together.
Mcintosh said US President Biden has made it very clear that human rights is at the centre of US foreign policy and imposing sanctions against RAB and seven of its current and former officials on December 10 last year for gross human rights violations was meant to promote accountability and to make the message loud and clear.
Noting concerns over Bangladesh not being invited to the US Democracy Summit last year, the official said that there were some arguments over it.
"From this moment, there will be an opportunity for Bangladesh to demonstrate improving democracy and human rights," he said.
There will be a second summit on democracy this year and the US will see if Bangladesh is invited, Mcintosh also said.
At the discussion, former Bangladesh foreign secretary Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury said Bangladesh is a regional player and it needs to engage routinely with the US administration, Congress and the civil society to improve the bilateral relationship.
Prof Shahab Enam Khan of International Relations department of Jahangirnagar University said greater cooperation between the US and Bangladesh is now more important than ever, adding that the dialogues on security, defence and trade in the coming months are expected to boost it.
The US official's comments come ahead of the US-Bangladesh Partnership Dialogue to be held in Dhaka on March 20.
US Under Secretary for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland will lead the US side and Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen will lead the Bangladesh delegation.
Bangladesh foreign ministry officials will strongly raise the issue of US sanction on RAB at the dialogue and request for its withdrawal.
US officials say the issue may be raised, but the dialogue will be on the overall relationship between the two countries.
People-to-people contact between the two countries is very important, the officials said, adding that Bangladesh is a very important country for the US in this region for its economic growth and geostrategic location.
Cooperation in the areas of trade and economy, security, defence, maritime, anti-terrorism – all will be discussed at the dialogue, said a US embassy official at a briefing at the American Centre today.
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