Retired police officers urge US to ‘immediately’ remove sanctions on RAB, its officials
They term the move “abrupt” and “irrational”
Bangladesh Retired Police Officers' Welfare Association (BRPOWA) has termed the recent US move to issue sanctions on the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and seven of its former and current officials as "abrupt" and "undesirable."
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the association said that a vested quarter, which is anti-state, provided false and fabricated information to the US, based upon which the country issued the sanctions.
They said that the vested quarter wants to harm the existing warm relations and friendship between Bangladesh and the US by providing false information,
The "one-sided" decision taken by the US has brought "embracement" to all police officials – both currently in service and retired, the association added.
Stating that the sanctions are "irrational," BRPOWA urged the US government to "immediately" remove the sanctions by assessing real information and scenario on Bangladeshi law enforcers role in maintaining law and order and protecting human rights.
On Friday, the US State Department imposed sanctions on RAB and seven of its former and current officials, including the current Inspector General of Police (IGP) and former RAB director general (DG) Benazir Ahmed.
It linked them to the "extrajudicial" killing of Teknaf Municipality councilor Ekramul Haque, during an anti-drug drive in May 2018.
Meanwhile, the Treasury Department designated RAB, Benazir, and five other former and current RAB officials under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, EO 13818 citing "serious human rights abuse relating to their tenure."
In addition to RAB, the US on Friday imposed extensive human rights-related sanctions on people and entities originating from China, Myanmar, and North Korea, and included Chinese artificial intelligence company SenseTime Group in an investment blacklist.
