‘Some other reason behind sanctions’

Khaleda Zia founded Rab in 2004, and many western countries have been giving assistance to it since then without any question. Why have issues been raised all of a sudden? There must be some reason behind it.

— Information Minister Hasan Mahmud

Information Minister Hasan Mahmud at a programme yesterday said there must be some other reasons behind the US-imposed sanctions against Rab officials.

When a country is developing, international forces try to pull it back, and to do that, they use narratives centring human rights and similar subjects, he said.

Hasan Mahmud made these comments while addressing a programme of lawyers at Chattogram District Bar Association Auditorium.

Human rights are being violated in many countries that advocate for it. In the US, thousands of people are forcefully disappeared every year; many are killed, but human rights organisations never give statements against those incidents, he commented.

For example, a few days back, the independent human rights expert of UN urged the US to close the jail at Guantanamo Bay due to reports of torturing captives and violating human rights. But no human rights organisation has given a statement about this, he claimed.

Hasan Mahmud said to err is human; no one is above making mistakes, adding that if any Rab member is involved in wrongdoing, they face investigation, trial and punishment.

Khaleda Zia founded Rab in 2004, and many western countries have been giving assistance to it since then without any question, he said. "Why have issues been raised all of a sudden? There must be some reason behind it."

9CR JABS IN STOCK

At another programme yesterday, the minister stated that around 31 crore of Covid-19 vaccine doses have entered the country so far, and at present, around nine crore jabs are in the stock.

He was  addressing a mask distribution programme in front of the Chattogram deputy commissioner's office.

Chattogram Civil Surgeon Dr  Elias Chowdhury said people do not  have to pre-register for vaccination. They can just  go to their nearest vaccination centre with their NID card and  phone.