Rab plays key role against violent terrorism, drug trafficking: Momen

Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen today said that Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) is by and large not corrupt and thus has earned public trust.

"By and large, Rab is not corrupt that they change their fate by [taking] bribe. So, they earned the trust of people," he told journalists at a virtual press briefing on the occasion of Indian President Ram Nath Kovind's three-day visit starting tomorrow.

He said this in response to a question on how the government is moving forward following the US sanctions on Rab and seven of its current and former top officials on human rights ground.  

Momen said in the US every year six lakh people disappear and police kill close to a 1,000 in the line of duty. "That rarely happens in our country."

He said US global policy is to prevent terrorism and Rab plays a pioneering role against violent terrorism as well as drug trafficking in Bangladesh.

The foreign minister said the US decision was taken because some NGOs or human rights organisations instigated them, and that it was done without consulting the Bangladesh government, which is unfortunate. 

The minister said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina entrusted him, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan, and Law Minister Anisul Huq to look into the issue.

"We will discuss the issue among ourselves and then respond. It will not be right to do it unilaterally," he said.

"We will discuss it with the US. Not all decisions of the US are right. We hope they have mature people and they will change their position. Our discussion with them will continue," he said.

Momen also said they believe the sanction will not affect bilateral relations.