DHAKA, May 13, 2024 (BSS) – Foreign Minister Dr Hasan

Mahmud today said the US visa policy and sanctions on
Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) officials will be discussed
during the visit of US Assistant Secretary of State for
South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu.

“We will discuss US Visa policy and sanction on RAB
individuals (during Lu’s visit) … We have already
discussed the matter of withdrawal or easing those when
US Whitehouse and state department officials visit here
earlier… so these issues will come up naturally (this
time),” he said.

The foreign minister made the remarks while responding
to a question of a journalist on the upcoming visit of
Donald Lu here.     

Dr Hasan said the current relations between Bangladesh
and the US is very sound and Dhaka will work together
whoever visits here from the US administration.

“Whoever visits here... we will work together to advance
our (Bangladesh-US) relations,” he said.   
     
Donald Lu will travel Bangladesh on May 14 as part of his
tri-nation tour of the region.

He will also visit India and Sri Lanka before coming to
Dhaka.
His trip will strengthen bilateral cooperation with each
country and demonstrate US support for a free, open, and
prosperous Indo-Pacific region, said the US Department
State.

Lu will meet government officials, civil society leaders,
and other Bangladeshis to discuss US-Bangladesh
cooperation, including addressing the climate crisis and
deepening economic ties, said spokesperson at the US
Department of State.

Rohingya repatriation

Replying to another question, the foreign minister said
Dhaka wants to begin Rohingya repatriation as Myanmar's
internal conflict cannot be an excuse for delaying the
repatriation process.

However, he said it is true that the current situation in
Arakan creates a barrier to repatriation to some extent,
but conflict is always there in Myanmar.

“We are always in engagement with Myanmar. We want to
see the commencement of repatriation at least,” he said.  
The foreign minister said he made the same urge to his
Myanmar counterpart at a meeting during his Uganda
visit.

Hasan said he found Myanmar foreign minister positive
regarding commencing the Rohingya repatriation from
Bangladesh.

Bangladesh is now hosting over 1.3 million Rohingyas in
Cox’s Bazar and Bhasan Char while Myanmar did not take
back a single Rohingya in last seven years even after
making several pledges.