Bangladesh hopes to strengthen ties during US delegation's trip to Dhaka

‘All bilateral issues will be discussed during the visit of the US delegation’ says Foreign Advisor Touhid Hossain

A ‘high-level’ US delegation is coming to Bangladesh for the first time since Muhammad Yunus's interim government took office.

The group consists of Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu, Assistant Secretary for International Finance in the Treasury Department Brent Neiman, and Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence for South and Southeast Asia Lindsey Ford.

According to Foreign Advisor Md Touhid Hossain, all bilateral issues will likely be discussed when the delegation arrives in the middle of September.

Speaking to the media at the foreign ministry on Tuesday, Touhid said: “They are coming for a short visit. However, all bilateral issues will be discussed during the visit of the US delegation. We will try to move things forward with them."

When asked whether there would be any discussion with the US delegation regarding the sanctions on the RAB, the foreign advisor said: “I cannot say what we are going to do about it at this moment."

In December 2021, the US imposed sanctions on the RAB and seven of its former and current officials for "serious human rights violations".

The Bangladesh government has previously called on the US to withdraw the sanctions on several occasions. But, the US has always said that the process of lifting sanctions is "complicated."

The deposed Awami League government also discussed the sanctions imposed on the RAB when Lu arrived in Dhaka for a three-day visit from May 14 to 16.

Later that month, Vedant Patel, principal deputy spokesperson for the US State Department said that the US will not be withdrawing sanctions against the RAB.