Be alert about new sanctions

Diplomatic Correspondent :
With the apprehension of fresh sanctions on government agencies and institutions in the upcoming days, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) has urged its all foreign diplomats to remain vigilant to block any such move that maligns the government.
The matter was revealed in a letter written by Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen on December 31, 2022 to all the Bangladeshi diplomats abroad.
Such a letter has created much criticism in the political landscape where the opposition blamed the government saying that the sanction was natural because the government was not moving in the right direction.
However, the government said that throughout this year they would continue its bargaining with the US government to withdraw the sanctions on RAB.
The Foreign Ministry letter mentioned that there was every reason to believe that the government and its agencies might face further sanctions. As a result, the ministry has called upon its diplomats to take further cautionary measures to avert such a move.
 “Although this has always been the cardinal feature of day-to- day activities of any diplomatic mission to be in close touch with the host governments, the current global and domestic political scenario demands more,” the letter read.
“You must have followed the events leading to the unilateral sanctions against our elite law enforcing agency and its senior officials. There is every reason to believe that similar moves may be instigated against the government agencies and individuals in one pretext or another,” the letter said.
“I urge you to remain highly alert and vigilant and take preemptive measures when necessary to resist such attempts to malign the government and its institutions and always remain prepared to mitigate the fall out. The Ministry will keep you updated and briefed from time to time,” Foreign Secretary wrote.
Out of the seven priority areas for the year 2023, the letter has given the topmost priority regarding the sanctions.
Masud Bin Momen issued the letter on December 31, 2022 for the Bangladeshi foreign diplomats.
On the following day, Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen along with Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and other high-ups of the government held a virtual meeting with the Bangladeshi envoys and gave various directions and sought support of them.
Even during the meeting a technical committee was announced to form to prevent the misinformation spread about the government and the State to the foreigners. Foreign Minister urged the envoys to prevent such misinformation immediately without waiting for the reply from the government. Even the letter of Foreign Secretary urged the heads of the mission to remain in close touch with the governments of the host countries.
Meanwhile, while talking with the journalists in the Foreign Ministry over various issues and challenges ahead, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam said, “We will continue our efforts to withdraw the sanctions on RAB. We will vehemently place before the US administration the demand for withdrawing sanctions on RAB this year.” On the other hand, BNP Standing Committee Member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury in Jatiya Press Club on Sunday said the government has been hatching a conspiracy to stay in power by using Bangladeshi missions abroad.
“It is natural that sanctions after sanctions would come because of the government’s way of running the country. By using our embassies, the government is hatching plots to stay in power. It is unacceptable. We hope the Bangladeshi diplomats will stand by the people,” he said.
Earlier, on December 10, 2021, the US government imposed sanctions on RAB and seven current and former top officials of the elite force, including former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Benazir Ahmed and also the current IGP ?Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, in connection with serious rights abuses.
Since then the government has been trying to withdraw the sanctions, the US government repeatedly said that it would ‘take time’ and urged the government of Bangladesh to conduct an independent investigation on the allegation of enforced disappearance and extra-judicial killing. The government of Bangladesh, however, did not take any such move for investigation and said that the law enforcers carried out operations against the terrorists. The US government said that the sanction was not a ‘punishment’, but a move to give opportunity ‘to rectify’ the mistakes. Amid such a situation, the government is apprehending fresh sanctions on the government and its institutions.