The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) issued 40 recommendations, including proposals to abolish RAB and the DGFI, but such suggestions do not automatically warrant action, Foreign Adviser Touhid Hossain said on Wednesday.
Responding to questions at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he said institutions like the DGFI exist in every country and decisions on reforms or abolition will depend on what the current and next governments deem acceptable. “They gave 40 recommendations. Those that seem acceptable to us and the next government will be implemented. There is no obligation to do everything,” he said.
On RAB, the adviser said the force has undergone “significant changes” and was once “a highly effective institution” before being “damaged over the last 15 years like many others.” He added that RAB had previously been tasked with work that was “not their responsibility,” but if they now operate in a restrained manner in the national interest, “there is no need to destroy the institution.”
He dismissed the possibility of new sanctions over human rights violations, saying he sees no new allegations and that “everyone acknowledges clear improvement” in RAB’s activities. “There may still be some complaints, but there has definitely been a lot of improvement,” he said.
He also stressed the government’s “100% commitment” to preventing rights violations, while noting that perfect results may not always be achievable. Regarding the withdrawal of existing US sanctions, he said the matter is “under process.”
On border killings, he said he had “nothing new to add,” noting that his position on the issue is well-known.
Asked about reports that former prime minister Sheikh Hasina is seeking asylum in a third country, he said he has heard the same rumors. “We only want India to send her back,” he added.
