Law Minister Anisul Huq has commented that there is no extrajudicial killing in Bangladesh. He made the comment on Sunday, two days after the United States sanctioned Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and its seven officials for ‘human rights abuse’.
Anisul Huq commented that issuing restrictions on seven former and current high officials of RAB by the State Department and the Treasury Department of the US from entering that country is unfortunate. The allegation on which the US issued the restrictions is imaginary, he added.
The minister was replying to queries from reporters after attending a meeting in Dhaka on the occasion of the inauguration of the 26th judicial administration training course for District and Sessions Judges and Metropolitan Sessions Judges.
Judicial Administration Training Institute (JATI) organised the programme at its auditorium with its Director General Justice Nazmun Ara Sultana in the chair. Law Secretary Md Golam Sarwar also spoke to the occasion.
Anisul Huq said, “As far as I know, those who have been sanctioned did not get a chance to explain themselves. I want to make it clear that the allegations against RAB and other organizations are fictitious.”
On Friday, the US announced that it has imposed sanction on RAB and its seven officials, including former RAB chief Benazir Ahmed, who is now the inspector general of police (IGP) of Bangladesh. The incumbent RAB Director General Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun has also been sanctioned.
The foreign ministry of Bangladesh on Saturday summoned US Ambassador Earl Miller to convey Dhaka’s discontent with the sanctions.
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In response to another query from reporters, Law Minister Anisul Huq said that a new chief justice would be appointed when it will be necessary. “I don’t know who will be the next chief justice,” he said.
Current Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain will retire on December 31.
About the application for allowing BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia to go abroad for treatment, Law Minister Anisul Huq said that the BNP would have to wait for the government’s decision on the matter.
Asked whether the government had come to a decision on the matter, he said, “Wait and see.”
Earlier, the Law Minister had said that they were looking into ‘legal means by which the BNP chairperson would be allowed to go abroad for treatment. He also said that the government was checking whether any court in the Indian subcontinent had a precedent on the issue. He had added that the decision would be taken in a few days.
Khaleda Zia is currently undergoing treatment at a hospital in Dhaka for liver cirrhosis after contracting Covid-19. Her family has petitioned the government to allow her to go abroad for treatment.