Published : 20 Feb 2026, 03:01 AM
Updated : 21 Aug 2026, 03:22 PM
William B Milam, who served as the United States ambassador to Bangladesh in the early 1990s and visited Dhaka during the tenure of the interim government, has died.
He was 89.
The diplomat breathed his last on Tuesday in Sacramento, capital of the US state of California.
His former colleague and fellow diplomat Jon F Danilowicz confirmed the news via a post on X on Wednesday.
Danilowicz, who visited Dhaka alongside Milam in March of last year, expressed his deep condolences.
In his tribute, Danilowicz said he had worked with Milam in both Bangladesh and Pakistan during their active diplomatic careers and continued to collaborate with him long after their retirement.
Milam’s death marks the end of a career defined by a profound understanding of South Asian geopolitics.
Even after retiring from the foreign service, he remained a regular commentator on Bangladesh’s development and contemporary political issues.
His commitment to the region was evident in his most recent visit to Dhaka.
He met with outgoing interim head Muhammad Yunus and several political leaders and participated in several high-level seminars during the visit.
Milam joined the US State Department in 1962.
He served as US ambassador to Bangladesh from 1990 to 1993, during the rule of Hussain Muhammad Ershad.
