Sanctions to remain effective until accountability ensured: Peter Haas

The sanctions imposed on the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and seven of its officials will remain effective until they are brought under accountability.

The sanctions were not imposed in an attempt to punish them, but to change their attitudes and bring them under accountability.

The US ambassador to Bangladesh Peter Haas made these observations on Thursday at a ‘meet the ambassador’ event in a Gulshan Hotel.

The Center for Governance Studies (CGS), a think tank based in Bangladesh, and Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES), a non-profit German foundation, organised this event.

Peter Haas said, "The number of extrajudicial killings has decreased significantly since the sanctions were imposed in December last year. This is a good sign. We hope the attitude of RAB will change."

Replying to a question, he said the election is not a single day incident. A free, fair and neutral election in Bangladesh depends on several issues which include whether the media and citizens are allowed to express their opinions and the political parties are getting scope to run their activities freely.

The ambassador said the ongoing political violence in Bangladesh is not conducive for a fair election.

As the incidents that took place before and after the elections are a part of the free, fair and neutral election, the world community, including the United States, is observing the incidents of violence closely, he added.

Peter Haas said it is not an issue but a policy whether Bangladesh will join the Indo Pacific Strategy (IPS). Joining the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is the own decision of Bangladesh. What alliance they will join is their own choice.