But without political reforms, any change risks being superficial

Although Donald Lu had visited Bangladesh more than once before the general election, this was his first visit after the polls.

Rab’s modus operandi again comes into question as calls for independent investigation grow

The way it conducted its operation in a Narayanganj village is concerning

"As we have provided them with evidence and documents, they are now satisfied," says Khurshid Hossain

Democracy, election, labour and human rights issues among topics discussed

Visiting US Assistant Secretary Donald Lu yesterday expressed satisfaction that Rab reduced extrajudicial killings since late 2021, when the US imposed sanctions on the force.

Numbers of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances have dropped drastically in Bangladesh since the US imposed sanctions on Rab and seven of its former and current officials for alleged human rights abuses, the Human Rights Watch observed in its annual report.

US sanctions on the Rapid Action Battalion “worked like a tonic”, rights activists said yesterday as the number of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances dropped significantly in the last year.

In response to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s recent comment that it was the US that created and trained Rapid Action Battalion, the US State Department said it had ended assistance to the Rab in 2018 based on credible information of gross human rights violations.

Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen today wondered why Bangladeshi journalists don’t question the US Ambassador on human rights situation and state of democracy in the USA.

Our foreign minister announced on Tuesday that he sought India’s assistance in lifting the sanctions against Rab.

A parliamentary body has blamed the foreign ministry behind US sanctions on Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) and its officials.

There is no scope for repealing the sanctions against Rab, without concrete actions and accountability, United States Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter Haas said today.

Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen has strongly made the case for withdrawing sanctions on Rab and its seven current and former officials to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, as they held a meeting at the latter’s office in Washington last night (April 4, 2022).

Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen held a meeting with his US counterpart Antony J Blinken at the US Department of State yesterday (April 4, 2022) marking 50 years of diplomatic ties bewteen US and Bangladesh.

Prime Minister sheikh Hasina today came down heavily on the USA for imposing sanctions on Rapid Action Battalion and some of its officials, terming it an “abominable move”.

Bangladesh has said Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) is facing difficulties in conducting its operations due to US-imposed sanctions and this might encourage radical elements in the country and make the law-and-order situation worse and create regional instability.