US seeks details on military grants to Bangladesh

[Isa Khan]

The United States has sought details on millions of dollars in military grants given to Bangladesh each year, as the latter has reportedly not disclosed how it is spending the money.

Before signing an agreement in this regard by December 31, the US government wants to know which forces are receiving the grants and how they are spending the money, said sources at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

When contacted, former foreign secretary Shahidul Haque told Bangla Tribune: "Bangladesh has military cooperation with various countries to ensure its overall security and sovereignty. In the current context, it is normal to reinforce such cooperation."

He added: "We have overall cooperation with the United States under the bilateral and multilateral system, including trade and investment, and this is a part of it. A military cooperation between the two countries was there in the past, is still in force and it’ll continue.”

Why this deal?

There is an old law in the US called “Leahy”, which states that the government cannot approve a grant to a security agency or force in another country if it is involved in a crime of torture, extrajudicial killing, kidnapping or rape.

An amendment to the law has recently been introduced and a clause has been added to the agreements to determine which of the donor countries is receiving the grant money. Hence, the US has taken the initiative to sign the agreements anew with the countries receiving military aid.

In that case, any organization or force that is under US sanctions will not receive the US grant.

What cooperation does Bangladesh get?

According to the US State Department, Bangladesh has received a grant of around Tk640 crore since 2015. This amount includes foreign military financing, and international military education and training.

A lion’s share has been given to strengthen the initiative of the Americans in the Bay of Bengal.

In addition, two “Hamilton Cutters” ships were delivered from the US in 2013 and 2015. The US has provided 50 “multi-role armed personnel carriers” to assist the Bangladeshi peacekeepers, stationed in different countries.

Since 2005, the US has spent about Tk380 crore on capacity building and training for Bangladeshi peacekeepers. In addition, Bangladesh procured four C-130 transport aircrafts in 2012 at a cost of Tk15,450,872,400 ($180 million).

Where does Bangladesh stand?

If a country gets a grant, it puts a general obligation on them to inform the donor about the expenditure, especially if there is a legal obligation in this regard.

A senior Foreign Ministry official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said: "We are considering the matter. The decision will be taken after considering all aspects.”

The official also said the US had recently decided to give drones worth Tk110 crore to Bangladesh and wanted to know who would use it.

Asked if the US grant could be used by the elite force Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), the official added that the RAB had nothing to do with it.

“Because the US has a legal obligation to disclose this information. Had it not been for the [recent] sanctions imposed on RAB, the US would have taken the initiative."

In July 2020, the US State Department said in a statement that the RAB and the Dhaka Metropolitan Police's Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit would not receive any foreign aid from them.

US seeks details on military grants to Bangladesh

Bangladesh has received grants worth Tk640 crore from the US since 2015

www.dhakatribune.com

 

[Isa Khan]

The government is set to cautiously accept a US proposal of signing an instrument on the use of security assistance provided by the country.

The US wanted to engage with Bangladesh through a formal instrument on holding prior assessment on the use of security assistance provided by the country, said foreign secretary Masud Bin Momen after an inter-ministerial meeting on Tuesday.

‘We are working on our options on the matter,’ he said, adding that the government would communicate the US side a draft note after vetting of the law and home ministries and other authorities concerned.

‘We may try to provide the instrument by December 31 depending on the consent of the appropriate authorities,’ said the foreign secretary.

The Bangladesh side ‘may incorporate some measures in the instrument’ for safeguarding the national interests, keeping scopes for holding prior consultations about any reservations from any side and present views in defence of the national institutions here,’ he said.

The foreign ministry will require consent and directives of prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who holds the defence portfolio, on the matter, a senior government official aware of the matter told New Age.

The United States has proposed to the Bangladesh government on December 1 to sign an agreement on using the funds it is likely to receive for its security forces under the Leahy Law of that country.

The foreign secretary claimed that there was no link between the US proposal involving the Leahy Law, 1961, and the sanctions slapped by the country on the Rapid Action Battalion and several of its current and former senior officers on December 10.

The Bangladesh government has been engaged for many years with the UN and other international entities and foreign countries on protection of human rights and containing terrorism as ‘we share the same values,’ he said.

The Leahy Law, enacted in 1961, refers to two statutory provisions prohibiting the US government from using funds for assistance to units of foreign security forces if there is credible information implicating the units in the commission of a gross violation of human rights, according to the US Department of State website.

The Bangladesh government will require issuing a guarantee, under the proposed agreement, if signed, that the funds received for its security forces will not be used by those security forces responsible for gross violation of human rights, a senior government official aware of the matter told New Age on Thursday.

Several countries, including Israel, receive military aid from the United States under Leahy Law agreements.

For Bangladesh, military aid from the US will be highly unfeasible for the Rapid Action Battalion as the US authorities have already imposed sanctions on the force on allegations of human rights violations, said a government official.

In the past, the Leahy Law was invoked to curtail military aid to countries as diverse as Indonesia, Colombia, Pakistan and the Philippines, according to thehill.com.

The charges for the sanctions on the RAB and the officials the US authorities have mentioned against them included gross violation of human rights, including extrajudicial killings, mostly targeting opposition party members, journalists and human rights activists.

The officials slapped with the sanctions are former RAB director general Benazir Ahmed, now the inspector general of police, current RAB DG Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, current RAB additional DG Khan Mohammad Azad and former additional DGs Tofayel Mustafa Sorwar, Mohammad Jahangir Alam and Mohammad Anwar Latif Khan.

Bangladesh cautiously agrees on US security aid deal

The government is set to cautiously accept a US proposal of signing an instrument on the use of security assistance provided by the country. The...

www.newagebd.net

 

[Dalit]

Caution is required with every dealing with the USA. BD is lately finding out what friendship with US can mean.

 

[Isa Khan]

Dhaka has sought more time from Washington for sending feedback on the Leahy Law, which governs the US' funding to foreign security forces.

"We need more time to complete stakeholders' consultations…we informed them (Washington) about the need for more consultations," Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen told our correspondent today.

Officials concerned said Dhaka in principle decided to agree to the Leahy Law, with some suggestions to protect the interests of Bangladesh.

As per the Leahy Law, the US needs to get consent letters from the countries it provides security assistance to.

In a letter to the foreign ministry on December 1, the US had sought Bangladesh's response by December 15. Dhaka then extended the time until December 31 to give feedback. During this time, two inter-ministerial meetings were held, with the last one on December 28.

After the meeting at the foreign ministry -- attended by top officials from the ministries of home, law and law enforcement agencies, Masud Bin Momen told reporters that they would hold another consultation meeting soon to finalise the language of the feedback.

The foreign secretary did not mention any specific time when the response would be sent, but said it would be done at the earliest.

He also said that Dhaka would put forward some suggestions so that Bangladesh is consulted before any US decision in terms of security cooperation.

He said if the US says that they have credible information on any Bangladeshi organisation, Dhaka would seek to learn of the source of the information.

"We will seek adequate time to explain the measures that Bangladesh will have taken and its position," Masud Bin Momen said on December 28.

"We are reviewing Bangladesh's benefits if we endorse the US law. Also we are checking if any policy of our law enforcers' contradicts the US law," the foreign secretary said.

He said there is no link between US sanctions on Rab and seven of its former and current officials imposed on December 10 in relation to human rights violations.

Since 2015, the US provided $66.9 million in foreign military financing and $7.29 million in international military education and training assistance to Bangladesh, according to the US State Department.

The US government has $130.59 million in active government-to-government sales cases with Bangladesh under the foreign military sales system.

As long as the sanction remains in place, Rab would not get any US assistance.

Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen yesterday told our correspondent over phone that the security assistance that Bangladesh gets from the US was not a big deal.

"There is no need to create a buzz over it," he said.

US funding for foreign security forces: Dhaka seeks more time to send feedback

Dhaka has sought more time from Washington for sending feedback on the Leahy Law, which governs the US’ funding to foreign security forces.

www.thedailystar.net