A day after United States imposed human rights-related sanctions on Rab and its seven current and former top officials, its spokesperson today claimed that the force does not violate human rights.
Rab protects human rights of people and maintain law and order in the country, Commander Khandaker Al Moin, Rab legal and media wing director, said this at a press conference in Dhaka today. (The Daily Star)
New Delhi:
(Founded in 2004, RAB is a joint task force composed of members of the
police, army, navy, air force, and border guards.It is mandated for internal security,
intelligence gathering related to criminal activities, and government-directed investigations).
Benar NewsRuters: A Bangladeshi protester begs for mercy from a Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) member during a demonstration outside Dhaka, April 30, 2013.
'Crueldom' in India's neighbourhood gets rapped by Washington.
The United States on Friday imposed financial sanctions on the notorious Bangladeshi police
unit Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and six of its current and former officers.
The charges - they were allegedly responsible for serious human rights abuses.
Benazir Ahmed, a former director general of the force, was barred from entering the United States
“due to his involvement in gross violations of human rights.”
The US Treasury department statement said, "Widespread allegations of serious human
rights abuse in Bangladesh by the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB)—as part of the Bangladeshi
government’s war on drugs—threaten U.S. national security interests by undermining the
rule of law and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and
the economic prosperity of the people of Bangladesh".
RAB is a joint task force founded in 2004 and composed of members of the
police, army, navy, air force, and border guards.
RAB is mandated for internal security, intelligence gathering related to criminal activities, and
government-directed investigations.
"NGOs have alleged that RAB and other Bangladeshi law enforcement are responsible for more than
600 disappearances since 2009," the US statement said.
"The U.S. Department of State has announced visa restrictions under Section 7031(c) of the FY 2021
Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act on Benazir
Ahmed due to his involvement in gross violations of human rights, making him ineligible for entry
into the United States".
Other RAB officials named by the statement from Washington are -
Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, Director General, RAB, April 15, 2020 to present,
Khan Mohammad Azad, Additional Director General (Operations), RAB,
Tofayel Mustafa Sorwar, Mohammad Jahangir Alam and Mohammad Anwar Latif Khan.
Top authorities in China too have been named.
"Shohrat Zakir served as the Chairman of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China.
Erken Tuniyaz (Tuniyaz) now serves as the acting Chairman of the XUAR and had served as
its Vice Chairman. During their tenures, more than one million Uyghurs and members of other
predominantly Muslim ethnic minority groups have been detained in Xinjiang," the US statement said.
The US report also slapped 'sanctions' on officials in Myanmar.
"...persons sanctioned today are associated with the military regime’s ongoing attacks on
democracy and brutal repression," it said.
"On February 1, 2021, the military of Burma disregarded the will of the people and overthrew the
democratically elected civilian government. The military regime’s subsequent and ongoing
brutal crackdowns against the people of Burma, including children and members of ethnic
minority groups, continue to undermine respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms," it said.
ends
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