Bangladesh expects sanctions on RAB to be withdrawn soon: FM to US lawmakers
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen held meetings with Senator Jon Ossoff (Democrat-Georgia); and Congressman Ami Bera (Democrat-California), the Chairman of the House, Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific, Central Asia, and Nonproliferation.
Seeking the US lawmakers' support on lifting of US sanctions on RAB, the foreign minister expressed Bangladesh's expectations that the sanctions on RAB would be withdrawn soon. He also sought their support to revitalize the Congressional Bangladesh Caucus.
The meetings took place on Wednesday in Washington DC, during his ongoing visit programmes on an invitation from the US Secretary of State Antony J Blinken, at the respective offices of the senator and the congressman at the US Capital, reads a foreign ministry press release.
In his meetings with the US lawmakers, Foreign Minister Momen briefed them on the impressive socio-economic development that has taken place in Bangladesh under the dynamic and visionary leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, which was appreciated by the US Lawmakers.
Dr Momen thankfully acknowledged the strong US humanitarian and political support to Bangladesh in dealing with the Rohingya crisis created by Myanmar by forcibly displacing more than 1.1 million Myanmar nationals from Rakhine State to Bangladesh.
He requested the US lawmakers to persuade Myanmar in all possible ways to create a safe and secure environment in Rakhine State and take back all the forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals temporarily staying in Bangladesh to their homeland in Myanmar.
The US lawmakers commended Bangladesh's generosity in hosting this huge number of Rohingyas and said that they would continue their efforts in this regard, reads the release.
The foreign minister also called for increased trade and investment of the US in Bangladesh. He raised the issue of deportation of Rashed Chowdhury, the self-confessed killer of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and sought the support of the senator and the congressman in this regard.
The foreign minister and the US lawmakers underscored the importance of further expanding the trade and investment relations between Bangladesh and the United States and deepening the excellent partnership in the coming days.
Member of Parliament Mahbubul Alam Hanif, Ambassador of Bangladesh to the United States M Shahidul Islam, Secretary (West) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Shabbir Ahmad Chowdhury and officials of Bangladesh Embassy in Washington DC were present in the meetings.
