Foreign Minister Momen says US sanctions on B'desh elite force 'unfortunate'

Bangladeshi Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen has criticised the US sanctions imposed on officials of the country's elite police force over rights abuse, saying the move was unfortunate and not fact-based.

On Friday, the US had imposed sanctions on Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and seven incumbent and former top officials of the elite force, including incumbent Bangladeshi Inspector General of Police Benazir Ahmed.

Rejecting the US claim that RAB killed 600 people in 10 years, Momen said, "we have no information who were killed." He added that the US decision should have been backed by facts.

"I would expect from (the) USA more solid fact-based response," Momen said on Saturday, ensuring that Dhaka would review if it was an outcome of any "geopolitics," Momen was quoted as saying by the national news agency BSS.

The minister made the remarks after the country's Foreign Ministry summoned the US envoy in Dhaka, Earl R Miller, to express Bangladesh's "discontent" over the sanctions.

Replying to a question of whether the development could strain Bangladesh-US ties, the foreign minister said, "I don't think so," but quickly added that "it depends on the United States."

Momen said the allegations of rights violations by the RAB were not "based on facts" and the anti-crime police unit was a disciplined institution that instead "has been securing human rights for the people of Bangladesh."

Apart from Bangladesh, the United States on Friday imposed human rights-related sanctions on dozens of people and entities in China, Myanmar.

The financial and visa sanctions came on the final day of President Joe Biden's virtual Summit for Democracy, where he unveiled policies to bolster democracy against threats around the world and appealed for solidarity among some 100 participants.

Notably, Bangladesh was not invited to the democracy summit.

( With inputs from ANI )