The government is planning to engage a law firm in the USA as part of its effort to exclude RAB officials from the US government’s sanction list.
Bangladesh Embassy in the USA is engaged in discussion at the various levels of the US government to address the issue, said Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen, adding a legal firm may be engaged to handle the matter.
He also pointed out that there is no link between the sanction against the RAB officials and the US letter that asked Bangladesh to agree to the Leahy Act of the USA for using US funds for defence.
The Leahy Laws or Leahy amendments are US human rights laws that prohibit the U.S. Department of State and Department of Defense from providing military assistance to foreign security force units that violate human rights with impunity. It is named after its principal sponsor, Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont).
The foreign secretary said that the Leahy Act is applicable not only to Bangladesh but also to many countries.
“They want our consent and we are planning to do that very soon after the review of the Act, which will be applicable from January 1. We are working on the language of the act so that our safeguard can be ensured.”
“We also want to ensure that there should be prior consultation before they would take any step in response to a complaint. We need to be informed and they need to see whether we take due action against their complaint or not,” the foreign secretary explained.
mirmosafiz@yahoo.com