US assistance to RAB suspended in 2018: US  

The spokesperson of the US Department of State, Ned Price, on Wednesday said they had stopped providing assistance to Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) in 2018, adding that they took this step after receiving credible information of serious human rights violation by this elite force.

The spokesperson came up with this disclosure on Wednesday while addressing the regular briefing at the US state department in Washington.     

After returning from the United States, prime minister Sheikh Hasina said the RAB was formed at the recommendation of the US. The law enforcement agency is carrying out their activities in line with the training they received from the United States.   

When asked about the comment, he said they stopped providing assistance to the elite force in 2018 based on credible information of serious human rights violations.

The state department also imposed sanctions on RAB and six of its former and current senior officials in December in 2021 under Global Magnitsky Act -- an act that authorises the US to sanction foreign nations over human rights violations.   

The US foreign policy always prioritises ensuring human rights across the world. Along with preventing human rights violations across the world, the aim of imposing sanctions on RAB and its officials is to ensure the accountability and reformation of the force, Ned Price added.      

When asked about the government’ attack on the peaceful rally of the opposition parties in Bangladesh, the spokesperson said people are entitled to bring out rallies and raise their voices in a peaceful way, maintaining respect towards the law.