US says assistance to Rab ended in 2018

The US State Department has claimed it had ended assistance to the  Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) in 2018 based on "credible information of gross human rights violations."

"Well, the fact is that based on credible information implicating the Rapid Action Battalion or the Rab in gross violations of human rights, we did end assistance to the Rab in 2018," State Department Spokesperson Ned Price said in his regular press briefing in Washington on Wednesday.

He was responding to a question during a regular press briefing when a journalist asked for the US government's take on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's recent comment that it was the US that created and trained.

"This was some four years ago that we ceased our assistance to this group, and in fact, in December – December of last year, December of 2021, we sanctioned the RAB as well as six current and former officers under what’s known as our Global Magnitsky sanctions regime in connection with the RAB’s involvement in serious and gross human rights abuse," Price said.

"And we publicly designated two former RAB officials under a separate authority, 7031(c), for their involvement in gross violations of human rights," he maintained.

Mentionable, the US imposed sasnctions on Rab in December last year for alleged human rights violations.

About the sanction on Rab by the US, PM Hasina on October 6 said the force was formed at the recommendation of the USA.

The US has also provided the force  with everything such as training, arms, helicopter, and even digital and ICT system.

“When the US imposes sanctions and raises allegation, I would like to say one thing that they (Rab) have conducted their activities in the way it (USA) trained them,” she said.

The Prime Minister said they have curbed terrorism using the RAB and raised a question whether the US is unhappy for that.

She questioned what the imposition of the sanction on them means and said it means supporting the terrorists.

The Prime Minister said Bangladesh has ensured punishment to those who commits offences whether they are the members of RAB, police and other law enforcement agencies.

But in the US, they do not mete out punishment to the policemen who deal with people as per their wish, referring to killings over a silly matter that included putting hands into pocket and carrying toy pistols.

Despite continued efforts by Bangladesh government to get the sanctions withdrawn, the US seems to be remaining firm on its stance.