US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu has appreciated the "tremendous progress" made by Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) in "respecting human rights" while performing its duties.

Lu said they had a good discussion on Rab, and he referred to the recent statement issued by the Human Rights Watch that recognised "tremendous progress" in reducing extrajudicial killings.

"We recognise this. This is an amazing work. It shows that Rab is able to carry out its counterterrorism efforts and important functions while respecting human rights," he said.

Responding to a question on Indo-Pacific Strategy, Lu said it is "not a club" and it is a matter of joining or not joining.

The senior US official made the remarks while briefing reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs this afternoon.

Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen and Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen also spoke on the occasion.

"We had a very honest and open discussion," Lu said.