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On December 10, 2021, the Biden administration imposed sanctions on Bangladesh’s elite paramilitary pressure, the Speedy Motion Battalion (RAB) and 7 of its present and former officers accusing of human rights abuses and abductions. Despite the fact that the USA and Bangladesh have been having fun with a comfy relationship because the delivery of Bangladesh, this sudden human-rights associated sanctioning has raised issues within the South Asian Nation, particularly because it has been imposed “unilaterally” with none “prior info.”
Sanctions, an instrument of international coverage, can be utilized to create stress on a state or non-state actor to affect these choices and actions which might be being perceived as threatening to safety or violating worldwide behavioral norms. The US authorities usually slaps sanctions, utilizing it as a carrot and stick coverage, on these nations that US views as enemies, e.g., rogue states, people who threaten its nationwide curiosity, or just to coerce the goal nation to do one thing. As Bangladesh is neither a rogue state nor a risk to US pursuits, the latest US sanction on Bangladesh, probably the most trusted US allies in South Asia, shocked political analysts the world over.
Typically, when the US imposes sanctions, the opponent states react in approach that worsen the scenario additional. As a pleasant nation, how Bangladesh responded to the US sanction deserves evaluation since it can assist to know how a US ally reacts to such sanctions, in comparison with the response of US enemies.
Bangladesh’s Response
Initially, Bangladesh adopted the diplomatic method to talk with the US authorities and clarify its stance in opposition to the allegations. Diplomatic efforts, on the a part of Bangladesh, had been primarily centered on convincing the US authorities by conveying the message that Bangladesh has been misrepresented by vested teams. That is how Bangladesh differentiated itself from different nations on which the US has imposed sanctions. For instance, North Korea, which has tended to fireplace recent missiles in response to US sanctions. As an alternative of accepting the criticism, rogue states react negatively. However Bangladesh confirmed a optimistic perspective, and welcomed constructive strategies from the US authorities.
In response to human rights violations, the International Ministry of Bangladesh established a human rights cell underneath the United Nations (UN) to look into human rights points and abuses requiring consideration. As well as, the cell will current information and figures regarding the human rights scenario in Bangladesh earlier than the worldwide group. Because it has been established underneath the UN, it may be anticipated that the scenario shall be monitored correctly, with correct information being introduced.
Based on the Bangladesh authorities, it has already despatched information on the nation’ human rights scenario and its progress in rescuing these individuals who allegedly fell sufferer to enforced disappearances. The legislation enforcement companies of Bangladesh have additionally rescued a number of individuals talked about within the report. It was additionally argued that the federal government is working relentlessly to search out the whereabouts of the remainder of the individuals.
US Reactions
Gregory W Meeks, the chair of the Home Committee on International Affairs and an influential US Congressman, in one in all his speeches delivered at fundraising luncheon operate in New York, mentioned that there isn’t any plan on the a part of the USA to impose additional sanctions in opposition to the safety forces of Bangladesh. Additionally, Meeks hinted about sure vested teams who’re strongly lobbying the Biden Administration to slap additional sanctions on Bangladeshi officers and politicians. Although he clearly talked about that he helps the Biden administration’s stance on RAB, he additionally made it clear that wholesale sanction in opposition to Bangladesh is at the moment unwarranted by the US authorities.
April 4, 2022 will mark the golden jubilee of US-Bangladesh relations. With a view to have a good time 50 years of diplomatic ties, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken invited Bangladesh’s International Minister AK Abdul Momen to Washington. This additionally signifies that the Biden administration has taken Bangladesh’s responses to the US sanction in a optimistic mild. And the relations of those two nations stays intact and pleasant as earlier than.
As an alternative of reacting like a rogue state, Bangladesh dealt with the US sanction on RAB professionally, with a lot emphasis on diplomatic maneuvers. The disaster could also be resolved quickly, however Bangladesh ought to decode the hidden motive of Washington behind such sanction. What does the US really anticipate from Bangladesh? The Quadrilateral Safety Dialogue (QUAD), a strategic safety dialogue between the USA, India, Japan and Australia, could also be a related subject to be thought-about on this context. Maybe the US is attempting to create stress on Bangladesh to hitch its Indo-Pacific army pact to comprise China, during which case the Biden administration might slap extra sanctions sooner or later if Bangladesh fails to satisfy US expectations.
Bangladesh’s economic system is now on the take-off stage, with the potential of graduating from LDC standing by 2026, and the nation aspires to grow to be a developed economic system by 2041. Contemplating Bangladesh’s financial situations, the worldwide powers shouldn’t contain the nation into any geopolitical tug-of-war. Neither Bangladesh can ignore the US and India nor China contemplating the present world geopolitical scenario. Additionally, it doesn’t adjust to Bangladesh’s balancing international coverage which emphasizes “friendship towards all, malice towards none.” For now, Bangladesh has to make sure neutrality and strike a high-quality diplomatic steadiness among the many main world powers for its improvement discourse. In any other case, the nation goes to face extra sanctions which is able to worsen US-Bangladesh relations and in the end push Bangladesh towards the strategic orbit of China.
The views expressed on this article are these of the authors alone and don’t essentially mirror these of Geopoliticalmonitor.com
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