Momen seeks US support for Rab’s capacity building
Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen yesterday sought US support for increasing capacity building of Rab when visiting US State Department Counsellor Derek Chollet acknowledged improvement in performance of the force.
The foreign ministry issued a statement in this regard after Chollet had a meeting with Momen.
Chollet, who serves as a senior policy adviser to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, led a seven-member delegation at the meeting.
The foreign ministry statement said the US side acknowledged Rab's improved performance but emphasised on its sustained reforms while the force is now under a sanction imposed by Washington.
Momen said Rab is a key force in law enforcement and earned people's confidence and trust over the years.
Drawing attention to Bangladesh's remarkable progress in the socio-economic sector, he suggested that the US take advantage of Bangladesh's liberal investment policy by investing in the designated special economic zones.
Chollet, who led a seven-member inter-agency US delegation, also called on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and held a breakfast meeting with Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen.
Secretary (west) Ambassador Shabbir Ahmad Chowdhury and other senior officials of the foreign ministry were present at the meetings from the Bangladesh side.
US Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter Haas, Counselor for USAID Administrator Clinton White, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of US Department of State, South Central Asia Bureau Elizabeth Horst and Ambassador-at-Large for Global Criminal Justice Beth Van Schaack were present from the US side.
During the meeting with Masud Bin Momen, the US assured Bangladesh that the implementation of the Burma Act will not contribute to any violence.
"We said there are issues to look into so that there is no further instability. They [US] assured us that their efforts will be there to [help Myanmar] return to democratic process," the foreign secretary told the press at the Foreign Service Academy, reports UNB.
Chollet emphasised continued US support for Bangladesh in addressing the Rohingya issues.
Overall, the Burma Act requires little change in the US policy in Myanmar. However, it does give the Biden administration the discretionary authority to make major changes, if it wishes to do so.
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