Govt to form human rights cell under UN surveillance

Diplomatic Correspondent: The government has decided to set up a human rights cell at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Dhaka under the surveillance of the United Nations in the wake of US sanctions on RAB.
Foreign Secretary Masud bin Momen told reporters at the Foreign Ministry on Monday.
‘Our Secretary of State telephoned the US Secretary of State after allegations of human rights abuses,’ he said. He also wrote a letter to the US Congressmen informing them of the facts. We are maintaining communication at various levels through our embassies.

Masud Bin Momen said the foreign ministry was considering setting up a human rights cell under the surveillance of the United Nations so that we can consider these issues more seriously.

The United States imposed sanctions on seven former and current RAB officers on December 10 last year for alleged human rights abuses. The ban was imposed separately by the US Treasury Department and the State Department on International Human Rights Day.

A member of the European Parliament has also written to the European Union (EU) imposing sanctions on RAB.

Twelve organizations have written to UN Under-Secretary-General Jean-Pierre Lacroix to ban the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) from UN peacekeeping mission for alleged human rights abuses, according to Human Rights Watch (HRW).