Bangladeshi ambassadors are instructed to be cautious about the ban
In 2021, the United States imposed sanctions on the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and seven of its former and current officers for alleged human rights violations. This ban put the government in a lot of trouble.
All embassies and missions of Bangladesh outside the world have to be on alert as they fear that similar restrictions may come again before the elections. Foreign Secretary Masoud bin Momen has already sent a letter containing precautionary instructions to the heads of embassies and missions.
On December 31, 2022, the Foreign Secretary has directed the Bangladeshi ambassadors to take necessary steps to deal with the situation of 'unilateral sanctions'.
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A country's ambassador to Europe confirmed the letter to the media. A day after sending the letter, Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen in an online meeting on January 1 ordered Bangladeshi ambassadors abroad to be vigilant during the election year.
According to diplomatic sources, the letter sent by the foreign secretary instructs the embassies to exercise such caution in view of the recent global and domestic political situation. The letter, without naming the RAB, first hinted at US unilateral sanctions against the 'elite' law enforcement company and its senior officials.
It is further stated that there are many reasons to believe that similar sanctions may now be imposed on government agencies and their officers on any pretext.
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In this situation, the Foreign Secretary instructed the ambassadors to be extremely careful and vigilant in their areas of responsibility to prevent harmful activities for the government and government institutions.
The Foreign Secretary's warning letter is a 'good move', says a former chairman of a government-funded think tank on international relations. He told the media that there is a movement to bring sanctions against the government, it is right. The ban on RAB could have been avoided if we had been careful earlier.
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On December 10, 2021, the United States imposed sanctions on the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and its seven former and current officers, alleging serious human rights violations. The ban was issued in coordination with the UK and Canada. A kind of tension is going on with the embassies of Western countries including the United States, Japan, in Dhaka the year before the current election. At the same time, the ministry alerted its embassies and missions.
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