US doesn’t want to impose sanctions on Bangladesh: House Foreign Affairs Committee chair
Meeks said that he will visit Bangladesh this year to see the human rights situation and other issues
Influential US Congressman and Chair of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs Gregory W Meeks has said they do not want to impose any sanctions on Bangladesh and there is an excellent relationship between Washington and Dhaka.
"We want to make sure that we are not [imposing any sanctions] against Bangladesh and we are still working with the government and people of the country," he told a fundraising luncheon function at a restaurant in New York's Queens area on Monday, according to a press release.
Meeks, also an eminent lawyer, has been a US representative of Democratic Party from New York since 1998, and serving as the chair of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs since 2021.
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"We are not putting any embargo against Bangladesh. The sanctions were imposed on some individuals of an organisation, not the entire organisation...We are looking into the scenario there," he added.
On 10 December last year, the US State Department imposed sanctions on RAB and seven of its former and current officials, including the current Inspector General of Police (IGP) and former RAB director general (DG) Benazir Ahmed over human rights issues.
Due to the sanctions, they will not get a US visa, and may even have their assets in the US confiscated.
After that, US ambassador to Bangladesh Earl R Miller was summoned by Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen to convey Dhaka's discontent over the designated sanctions.
The foreign minister also wrote to his US counterpart Antony Blinken requesting a review of the sanctions. In the first week of January, the Standing Committee on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs recommended the foreign ministry to appoint lobbyists in Washington for Dhaka so that Bangladesh is not portrayed in a negative light to the USA.
Later, the cabinet committee on law and order instructed the foreign ministry to reach out to the USA with accurate information to undo the US sanctions.
Meeks also replied to a question about a vested quarter, from inside and outside Bangladesh, who is strongly lobbying for imposing sanctions against more officials and the politicians as well, added the statement.
"But we will not do it as per their words...it's not possible, and we'll take right steps after scrutinising all things," he said.
Meeks said that he will visit Bangladesh this year to see the human rights situation and other issues.
"Before then, I will talk to the State Department and Congress Sub-Committee on the Asia-Pacific...if necessary we'll arrange a hearing in the Congress on Bangladesh issues," he added.
