American people are committed to Bangladesh, says USAID global chief

Bangladesh can count on US support in pursuing its development goals for the next 15 years to promote shared economic prosperity, social development, and environmental protection, the USAID’s global chief has said.

Alfonso Lenhardt sat with bdnews24.com for an exclusive interview on Monday before leaving Dhaka.
 
“We have been solid partners of the people of Bangladesh for 44 years now and that’s something we will continue, that’s not going to change,” he said.
 
This was his first visit to Bangladesh after becoming the Acting Administrator of the US’s development agency in February this year when Rajiv Shah stepped down as Administrator.
 
Lenhardt, who was the president and CEO of the non-profit National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC), most recently served as the US ambassador to Tanzania from 2009 and 2013.
 
During his four-day visit, he saw US-aided projects in a remote village in southern Bagerhat, and met the ministers for foreign affairs, agriculture, environment and forest, among others.
 
Lenhardt said his visit had been a “very positive” one, from which he would take back to Washington his experiences so that “we can think about ways to continue to support this country”.
 

He was “impressed” to see the ongoing programmes and said those were “moving towards a right direction and positive way”.

The USAID has provided over $6 billion in development assistance to Bangladesh since 1971.

Promoting democratic institutions and practices, expanding food security and economic opportunity, improving health and education services, and increasing resilience to climate change are the major areas of its support.

Lenhardt said he was pleased to see that the USAID continued to provide the kind of support the Bangladesh government and its people needed.

“The purpose is American people are reaching out to the Bangladeshi people,” he said, adding that their programmes in Bangladesh had been “appreciated, understood and supported by the government”.

“We are making contribution across the board,” he said while sharing his experience in Bangladesh.

Lenhardt also met foreign minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali during his visit.

The USAID supported some major programmes related to maternal and child health, family planning and nutrition, which were related to MDGs.

The chief lauded Bangladesh’s successes in those fields and said “the future is very bright one for this country”.

“We are committed. American people are committed to Bangladesh,” he said, when asked whether Bangladesh could count on USAID for the new development milestones that set 17 goals and 169 targets.

“It’s very important that USAID, representing the American people, continue to work with the people of Bangladesh to ensure the attainment of those SDGs”.

He said their goal was to get Bangladesh up to a middle-income status country “as quickly as possible”.

The administrator, however, stressed the saving of Tigers in his meeting with the minister for environment and forest.

He said Tiger was a “great symbol” of Bengal, but reports showed its populations was declining.

“That’s a concern because it’s part of the rich heritage of this country. So we must conserve that animal,” he said.