Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Thursday told parliament that diplomatic efforts are on track to deal with the United States regarding its sanctions on the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), but he acknowledged that the matter is a political issue, which may follow a protracted process.
"The lifting of the sanctions on RAB is a long-term process. Since the matter of imposing the sanctions on RAB is a political issue, strong diplomatic efforts have been made to solve the matter since the beginning (immediately after the imposition of the sanctions)," he said.
The foreign minister made the statement while replying to a question from Jatiya Party lawmaker Md Mujibul Haque.
In a scripted answer, Momen said the foreign ministry and other ministries, divisions or government agencies are jointly working to lift the sanctions and ensure that such sanctions do not come anymore in the future.
The Bangladesh embassy in Washington, DC maintains contact with the US State Department regularly, he said, adding that the foreign ministry takes steps instantly following the recommendations of the Bangladesh embassy.
Citing different steps taken by the government for withdrawal of the existing sanctions, he said the sanction issue was also discussed in meetings with US Assistant Secretary Donald Lu during his recent visit to Bangladesh.
Momen said Donald Lu praised the activities of RAB.
The foreign ministry and the Bangladesh embassy in Washington, DC, together with a legal assistance firm, are continuing strong diplomatic efforts over the withdrawal of the sanction, he said.