Lu has not given any timeframe for lifting sanction on RAB: US Embassy in Dhaka

Staff Reporter :
Following the government’s speech that the sanction on RAB will be lifted soon, the United States Embassy in Dhaka on Tuesday said that the US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, Donald Lu did not give any timeframe for removal of sanctions on the elite force.
In his recent meetings in Dhaka, Lu, however, lauded the government for dramatic reduction last year in number of allegations of extrajudicial killings after the sanctions on the RAB.
“During his meetings in Dhaka, Assistant Secretary Lu did not indicate a timeframe for the removal of RAB sanctions,” the US embassy’s spokesperson Jeff Ridenour said in the statement.
He said that Assistant Secretary Lu praised the Bangladesh government for the dramatic reduction last year in the number of allegations of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances by the RAB.
“We applaud the Government of Bangladesh’s efforts in these continued reforms and encourage the Bangladesh government to conduct independent investigations of alleged extrajudicial killings.
The statement came a day after Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan said that the US sanctions on the RAB would be lifted soon as the US Assistant Secretary Donald Lu expressed his satisfaction over the RAB’s recent activities.
“I have discussed some issues with the US Assistant Secretary Donald Lu in a cordial atmosphere yesterday and informed him about dealing of terrorism, militancy and Islamic extremism,” the Home Minister told reporters at his Secretariat office on Monday.
Quoting the US assistant secretary, Asaduzzaman said that he (Lu) assured Bangladesh that sanctions on RAB would be lifted soon through a process.