Enhance trade, withdraw sanction on RAB: Momen to Blinken

Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen has urged US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to enhance trade and investment with Bangladesh, withdraw sanctions on RAB and extradite Bangabandhu's killer Rashed Chowdhury.

"We have had a very good discussion with the Secretary of State Blinken," Momen told the media, emerging from his bilateral meeting with Blinken marking 50 years of bilateral relations between Bangladesh and the USA at the Department of State in Washington DC on Monday, reports BSS.

Blinken, in his opening remarks, stated that Washington is willing to work together with Dhaka on further strengthening the partnership between the US and Bangladesh, Momen said.

Bangladesh became a model of development and Washington is really looking forward to working together for the next 50 years to strengthen the partnership between the two countries, Momen quoted his US counterpart as saying.

Momen told Blinken that 50 years back there was a fear Bangladesh would be a bottomless basket, but now Bangladesh has become a land of opportunity.

The foreign minister said they also discussed reinstating GSP facilities, the Rohingya issue, Indo-Pacific strategy, climate change and Bangladesh election process.

Sanctions on RAB

The foreign minister said he urged the US side to withdraw the sanctions on Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and on some of its current and former officials as this elite force played an important role in countering terrorism and checking drug trafficking in Bangladesh.

Momen said RAB might sometimes have done some excesses but there is an in-built system for accountability and the government took action against those who did wrong.

Secretary Blinken expressed satisfaction over the RAB performance in the last four years and said there is a certain process for the sanctions to be withdrawn, Momen said.

Momen also raised the issue of sending back Rashed Chowdhury, a convicted killer of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who is now residing in the US.

Trade and Investment

Momen also urged the US to diversify its investment in Bangladesh especially in the infrastructure, IT and pharmaceutical sectors.

"90% of US investments are in the energy and power sectors. I want you to invest in other sectors like IT and pharmaceuticals," he told Blinken.

Momen also urged the US to help Bangladesh ease doing business so that Dhaka can attract more foreign direct investment (FDI) in its economic zones and High-Tech parks.

Reinstating GSP

The foreign minister also raised the issue of reinstating the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) facility for Bangladeshi products entering the US market, which has been suspended since 2013.

In reply, the secretary of state said the US would reinstate the GSP facilities when the labour situation is improved further in Bangladesh.

Dr Momen informed that the situation has been improved a lot in terms of labour rights and that is something that needs to be recognized.

Rohingya Issue

Momen thanked Blinken for US recognising Myanmar's violence against Roingyas as genocide and urged them to work with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) members to resolve the crisis.

"The US should do more for a sustainable solution to the crisis," he told Blinken.

The foreign minister also urged Blinken to take initiative for resuming direct Biman flights on Dhaka-New York route.

Momen also invited the US secretary of State to visit Bangladesh at his convenient time.

Meeting with USAID administrator

Earlier, Foreign Minister Momen met United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Samantha Power where both sides discussed issues of mutual concern.

Bangladesh foreign minister thanked the USAID administrator for agreeing to his request to assist in the project of strengthening the coastal embankments in Bangladesh.

The USAID administrator emphasized that Bangladesh should resolve outstanding labour issues to become eligible for the development finance from the DFC, a development finance institution of the US.

Bangladesh Embassy Reception

As the chief guest, Momen also attended the reception hosted by the Bangladesh embassy in Washington DC on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations.

USAID Deputy Administrator Isobel Coleman was the guest of honour. She had a separate bilateral meeting with Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen before the reception.

During the meeting, Foreign Secretary Momen requested for more US cooperation in combatting human trafficking and illegal migration, as well in in agricultural sector. They also discussed the Rohingya issue in detail.

Bangladesh foreign minister also met US Senator Chris Van Hollen, President of National Democratic Institute (NDI) Ambassador Derek Mitchell, and Director of New Lines Institute Azeem Ibrahim.