US studying IGP's upcoming visit: Peter Haas to home minister
Home minister Asaduzzaman Khan has said the government is working over the upcoming trip of the inspector general of police (IGP) Benazir Ahmed to the United States (US) to attend the police chiefs' conference to be held in New York.
Asaduzzaman Khan made these remarks while replying to queries from newspersons after US envoy in Dhaka Peter D Haas paid a courtesy call to the minister at the secretariat on Tuesday.
The miniser said the US envoy himself raised the issue of Benazir Ahmed’s visit to the US. "I did not raise any issues related to it."
"The issue is pending. We are studying it and we hope there will be no problem over it at the end," Asaduzzaman quoted the US ambassador as saying when Prothom Alo asked him about the mater.
Prothom Alo reached US embassy in Dhaka spokesperson Jeff Ridenour over the matter.
He said, “As host nation of the UN, except for limited exceptions, the United States is generally obligated under the UN Headquarters Agreement to facilitate travel to the UN headquarters district by representatives of UN member states. We take our obligations under the UN Headquarters Agreement seriously.”
“All visa applications are adjudicated on a case-by-case basis in accordance with the requirements of the Immigration and Nationality Act and other applicable laws. Visa records are confidential under US law. We do not discuss individual visa cases,” he added.
On 10 December last year, the US state department and treasury department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) imposed sanctions on six former and current officials of Bangladesh’s elite force Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) including Benazir Ahmed for human rights abuse.
Amid this situation, discussion arose over whether Benazir Ahmed can visit the US to the police chiefs’ conference.
On 8 August, following a meeting with us assistant secretary of state for international organization affairs Michele J Sison, foreign secretary Masud Bin Momen said the IGP Benazir Ahmed will be able to attend the conference of the police chiefs to be held in New York if 'there are no issues'.
Asaduzzaman Khan said Peter Haas during the meeting wanted to know about whether the law and order situation will remain same during the next election like the existing situation.
The minister said the US envoy was told that election commission mainly controls law enforcement agencies and administration during elections, and prime minister will carry out routine work and they will be busy with election.
Peter Haas expressed satisfaction over the existing law and order situation of Bangladesh, he added.
Requesting to lift the sanction on Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), the home minister said the government brings any member of this force carrying out illegal activities to book
“I also spoke about the RAB that law enforcement agencies open fire only in self-defence and each firing incident is investigated by magistrate to find out the truth.”
The US envoy then asked the minister why these probe reports are not published. In reply, the home minister said some of the reports are published.
After the courtesy call to the home minister, US ambassador told newspersons that the US wants to strengthen bilateral ties with Bangladesh and what further measures can be taken to enhance this relations was also discussed. Bangladesh has also worked well in prevention of human trafficking, he observed.
Peter Haas also wanted to know from the minister on which sectors US can increases its cooperation to advance the relations with Bangladesh.
The US forwarded a written proposal to cooperate in two-three sectors, the home minister said adding, “We will sign memorandum of understanding (MoU) on these sectors soon and these are at final stage now, and we have informed the US envoys about it.”
The ambassador also informed the minister that the US is keen to provide all kinds of cooperation for the security of Bangladesh.
Issue of Rohingya crisis was discussed at the meeting, Asaduzzaman Khan informed saying, “We believes the US will cooperate and be vocal more to resolve this crisis. They also assured us of continuing their existing cooperation on Rohingya issue.”