Diplomatic Correspondent :
A high profile US delegation has arrived in Dhaka to discuss on the multifaceted arenas, especially on the shared vision of Indo-Pacific region, human rights and regional resilience.
The delegation includes Eileen Laubacher, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for South Asia, US National Security Council (NSC); Michael Schiffer, USAID Assistant Administrator, Bureau for Asia; and Afreen Akhter, US Department of State Deputy Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asia (SCA). They will stay from February 24-26.
This is going to be the first visit of Washington delegation after the Bangladesh parliamentary election held on January 7. However, the US government has not yet endorsed the election as free and fair.
Rather the US government has called upon the government of Bangladesh to carry out an investigation regarding the irregularities and violence happened in the election time.
According to the US Embassy Dhaka on Saturday, the three principals will discuss with the government of Bangladesh ways to strengthen diplomatic ties, address challenges, and promote a shared vision for the advancement of mutual interests in the Indo-Pacific region.
Their visit will also include meetings with youth activist and civil society leaders, labor organizers, and those engaged in developing a free and uncensored media, it further said.
“The United States remains committed to partnering with Bangladesh to advance our shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific, to supporting human rights, addressing climate change, advancing regional resilience to transnational threats, and promoting economic reforms,” the US Embassy Dhaka said.
The visit of the delegation has already drawn attention to the concerned stakeholders, including political individuals and international observers.
The US engagement with the reelected Awami League government is being seen with significance how the US government will continue its bilateral relations with Bangladesh in the upcoming days.
Their visit is also being witnessed as highly important amid Myanmar conflicts and long overdue Rohingya crisis as well as internal politics of Bangladesh as many BNP leaders and workers are languishing behind bars.
Sources said that the delegation will have meetings with Foreign Minister Masud Bin Momen, Prime Minister’s private industry and investment adviser Salman F Rahman.
The delegation’s major focus on the Indo-Pacific region has been clearly echoing the voices of President Joe Biden’s letter on February 6.
His letter to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina clearly stated that the shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific.
“The United States is committed to supporting Bangladesh’s ambitious economic goals and partnering with Bangladesh on our shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific,” the letter said.
President Biden also mentioned that his administration want to work together with Bangladesh on regional and global security, economic development, climate change, energy, global health, humanitarian support, especially Rohingyas refugees and more.
Following such letter the government hiccupped that the US has supported the government and expressed desire to work with them.
Though the US government has expressed its desire to work with the government of Bangladesh, but it has not changed its stance over free and fair election and has not changed its visa policy as well.
On January 8, just a day after the election of Bangladesh, the United States said that the US remained concerned by the arrests of thousands of political opposition members and by reports of irregularities on elections day.
The United States shares the view with other observers that these elections were not free or fair and we regret that not all parties participated, the US said.
The United States also condemned violence that took place during elections and in the months leading up to it.
“We encourage the Government of Bangladesh to credibly investigate reports of violence and to hold perpetrators accountable. We also urge all political parties to reject violence,” the US government said at that time.
The US has always remained committed to partnering with Bangladesh to advance shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific, to supporting human rights and civil society in Bangladesh, and to deepening our people-to-people and economic ties.
Diplomatic sources said that the meeting will outline various aspects of the upcoming relations between the two countries.
