Bangladesh’s elite force, the Rapid Action Battalion (Rab), which has been subjected to a sanction by the United States, has now been applauded by the same government for its role in tackling terrorism, according to some media reports. The 2020 Country Reports on Terrorism, published by the State Department on 16 December, which gives an overview of global counterterrorism environment, has reportedly praised Rab for its success in cutting down terror acts in Bangladesh. Some of these Bangladeshi media outlets also have quoted at least two noted experts on international relations who said that this praise proved that the sanctions were not a well-thought-out action and could have been the result of intense lobbying by some anti-Bangladeshi elements.They argued that these contradictory acts were indicative of a lack of coordination within the US State Department. If the latter report is correct, then there’s every reason to thank those experts for the correct interpretation of these disc...