Bangladesh, Washington agree to enhance cooperation on counterterrorism

Bangladesh and the US have agreed “to enhance cooperation” on matters of counterterrorism in the fifth annular ‘partnership dialogue’ that began in Washington on Thursday.

Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Thomas Shannon and Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Md Shahidul Haque led their sides at the two-day dialogue with the objective of “broadening and deepening the partnership”.
 
The Bangladesh embassy said on the first day, in-depth discussions had been held under the three working groups on ‘security cooperation’, ‘development and governance cooperation’, and ‘trade and investment cooperation’.
 
Both delegations agreed to enhance cooperation in counterterrorism and combat violent extremism.

The US delegation “highly appreciated” Bangladesh’s contribution for almost three decades to UN Peacekeeping Operations.
 

The Bangladesh delegation appreciated the support of USAID over the past four and a half decades for the country’s development in fields such as agriculture, higher education, climate change, and health.

The two sides underscored the need for continued and wider cooperation in existing and new areas.

The US delegation praised Bangladesh for hosting a large number of undocumented Myanmar nationals for decades.

The two delegations also agreed to encourage Bangladeshis abroad to invest in potential areas in Bangladesh, thus contributing to the country’s socio-economic development.

The US delegation expressed interest in supporting the regional connectivity 

initiatives, particularly in the energy sector under the IPEC, and blue economy.

Foreign Secretary Haque also made a presentation on ‘Bangladesh by 2030/35: Challenges and Prospects’ at the Council on Foreign Affairs (CFR), a Washington-based think tank.