Situation in Sri Lanka different from that in Bangladesh, says US Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter Haas There can be no excuses when it comes to the matter of human rights and freedom of the press, says US Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter Haas. He said, “The US has decided to put the issues of human rights and freedom of the press at the centre of its foreign policy.
“No excuses when it comes to such matters.” The ambassador made the remarks during an event titled “Diplomatic Correspondent Association of Bangladesh (DCAB) Talk” held at the National Press Club on Tuesday.
The US wants accountability and reforms in Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) before the sanctions imposed against the Bangladeshi elite force and seven of its current and former officials can be lifted, Haas furthered.
He also spoke about the upcoming polls in Bangladesh and the importance of the Election Commission (EC) and media for ensuring a free and fair contest.
When asked about the economic crunch that Bangladesh is facing right now, he said that although the country’s economy is currently facing various challenges, it is not analogous to what is happening in Sri Lanka.
“Basically Bangladesh is not Sri Lanka”, he said adding that the country has done extremely well from a micro-financial standpoint.
“The country also has foreign exchange (forex) reserves. So it [the economic condition of Bangladesh] is not analogous to what is happening in Sri Lanka,” he said.
However, It does not mean that the Bangladeshi economy does not face challenges currently with inflation, food prices, and the horrible disruptions caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, he added. Mentioning the ongoing Ukraine crisis, he said, “It’s an unprovoked attack on a sovereign nation with massive human rights violations. And one that has created untold hardship for the rest of the world in terms of disruption, particularly on food supply around the world.” “Ukraine is one of the world’s biggest agricultural producers and Russia is not allowing it to export food. “This has brought suffering all around the world,” he added. DCAB President Rezaul Karim Lotus and general secretary AKM Moinuddin also spoke at the event.
