Obama thanks Hasina

The US President Barack Obama has thanked Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for her felicitation message on the US’s Independence Day.

The foreign ministry said Obama expressed his “gratitude and thanks” writing a letter.

The US celebrates its independence day on July 4.

Obama’s letter of gratitude came amid skepticism over the current government’s relations with the US, particularly after the Jan 5 elections that brought Awami League in power for the second successive term.

Major opposition BNP had boycotted the elections that led to more than half of the seats returning uncontested winners.

The US did not support the elections and called for fresh polls as soon as possible under a neutral poll-time dispensation, an issue over which the BNP-led alliance had boycotted the poll.

Even the US ambassador-designate to Bangladesh Marcia Stephens Bloom Bernicat recently had said before the senate foreign relations committee in Washington that the elections were “undeniably flawed”.

She had said Bangladesh’s main political parties “urgently need to engage in constructive dialogue that leads to a more representative government”.

The foreign ministry said the President in his letter mentioned: “The people of the United States of America join me in thanking you for your gracious message of congratulations as we commemorate our 238th anniversary of independence”.