All about the US sanctions

Seven officials, who are or were with RAB, have been placed under US sanctions. The US visas of those among them, who already had the visas on the passports, will be cancelled. And those who have applied for visas, will not be granted the visas. While the names of the seven officials have been officially announced, it is speculated that there are many more on the list. RAB itself, as an institution, has been sanctioned too. Then there is the former army chief General Aziz who never was with RAB. His US visa has been revoked too. The reaction of the Bangladesh government towards these measures indicates it is highly displeased with this US action.

The US has indicated that the reason behind the sanctions or ‘blacklisting’ is serious human rights violations, something which the Bangladesh government has denied all along. The government claims that the allegations of human rights violations are propaganda by civic organisations and NGOs. These organisations have misled the US government with concocted reports.

The human rights violations that have been mentioned included enforced disappearances and killing people in ‘crossfire’. From the top level of the government it has been said there have been no enforced disappearances. The ‘missing’ persons have merely gone into hiding on their own accord. And there is no such thing as ‘crossfire’. Members of the law enforcement agencies open fire in self defence. It is always the same story – the criminal tries to escape or his associates try to snatch him away, there is an exchange of fire, resulting in certain deaths. About those who die, the government says they were accused in cases of theft, robbery, mugging, murder or some crime or the other. In other words, so what if a criminal dies? Another line is, this happens in all countries of the world. Even in the US, the police shoot dead many ‘criminals’ whom they are trying to catch. Human rights are violated there too. So who are they to sermonise us?

The reports on human rights violations don’t fall from the sky into the laps of the foreigners. These appear in the media of this country. Also, the foreign diplomatic missions in Bangladesh all have relevant officials who gather news related to their interests. They have to send these reports back home. That is the rule. This are not Bangladesh. I have no idea if the Bangladesh diplomatic missions carry out such tasks. They are more often than not busy providing protocol to powerful persons.

There is another question involved here. Getting a US visa can be like getting the moon in one’s hand. The question may arise, why do you want to go to the US? There may be some mystery involved. We often read stories in the press about huge sums of money being siphoned off outside of the country. One on hand there is all that rhetoric about having zero tolerance against corruption, while on the other, wealth is being drained out of the country in steadily increasing amounts. So where does this money go? There is a reason for them amassing money in foreign banks. They feel money is not safe in banks within the country. Once they are in any sort of danger, they fear all their money will go down the drain.

Then again, many have homes abroad. Their spouses and offspring live there, driving flashy cars, some studying. US is the first choice among overseas destinations. If you can manage to go there, it’s a stroke of fortune. ‘Elites’ in the country feel Bangladesh has no future and so want to go abroad and settle there while there is still time. They make all preparations in advance. They have their ‘second homes’ there. At one point of time, Bangladesh will become their second home.

Bureaucrats, politicians and businessmen are all one and the same when it comes to smuggling their children out of the country in the name of studies. There is no difference among them in this regard, no matter of their ilk. Some of the offspring get scholarships to study abroad by dint of their merit, other’s go off to study with their dad’s money. If a study was conducted on how legitimate dad’s money is, that would let the cat out of the bag.

Back to the topic of human rights violations. When a political party is in power, they feel this is justified. The opposition brings about allegations of human rights violations. When the tables turn, when the opposition comes to power and those in government become the opposition, they sing a different tune. This drama has been continuing for the past 50 years. The government’s law enforcement agencies get a blank licence to carry out human rights violations when they are given indemnity or immunity. It all began when the Jatiya Rakkhi Bahini was granted immunity. Many years ago there was a headline that would often meet the eye, ‘That same tradition continues.’ Granting immunity continues.

The recent US move is nothing new. They declared a number of army generals in Myanmar persona non grata in the US. The junta in Myanmar may not have been happy with this move. But we should be happy that such strict sanctions have been imposed against them for the grave human rights violations they have committed in the Rakhine state. Shouldn’t we?

Every year the US state department comes up with a report. Human rights violations are raised in the Bangladesh section. We get to know about this as it appears in our media. But the ministers of the government have their tailored response, “We reject the report.” Public concern is totally overlooked in such ‘denial culture’. The people and the international community do not appreciate excuses instead of accountability.

Recently 12 human rights organisations submitted a letter to the UN secretary general, asking that RAB and the police not be taken in the UN peacekeeping missions abroad. The UN does pay attention when such matters are brought to its notice. Our information minister said, other than two of these organisations, the rest are all baseless. The fact remains, even in one reputed organisation raises such an issue, it will be taken into cognizance. Where will all this end?

Bangladesh provides the most personnel to the US peacekeeping missions abroad. In an interview I had taken of General Moeen U Ahmed in the backdrop of 1/11, he had said if a soldier can serve for two years in a mission, he earns and saves more than he can in this entire life. He returns home and builds a house, buys land and arranges an income for his family. If the sanctions put a stop to that, many will suffer. Everyone hopes that this does not happen. So rather than simply rejecting the allegations that have arisen, these should be investigated.

As for those whose visas have been cancelled or who fear that their visas may be cancelled, I have only one thing to say to them – there is no need to be so desperate to go to the US. Bangladesh will be a golden land. Stay here, serve the country.

* Mohiuddin Ahmad is a writer and a researcher. He can be contacted at [email protected]