The home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal has expressed optimism that the US sanctions on RAB will be removed soon. At noon on Monday, January 16, he made this statement to the media in his office in the secretariat.
When asked what was discussed during the Sunday evening courtesy visit with US Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu, he stated, “He had a private discussion with a few of our ministers. I had a sincere and cordial conversation with him. It appears that they do not want Bangladesh to cease its progressive growth. The United States government wants a more affluent Bangladesh. They want fair elections in this nation. No one should indulge in violence. This has been discussed as well.”
“I informed them they had banned RAB. In 2004, they supported RAB with training and weapons. They have supplied weaponry not just to the RAB, but also to several police forces. They (the U.S.) consistently praised their excellent performance. These forces also have to take up arms for self-defense. However, if one of our magistrates informs us after investigating every shooting, we take appropriate legal measures,” the home minister added.
