New US Ambassador Bernicat meets Prime Minister Hasina

US Ambassador Marcia Stephens Bloom Bernicat has met Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and extended her country’s support to protect democracy in Bangladesh.

Bernicat arrived Dhaka on Jan 25 after the US Senate confirmed her appointment in November last year.

The US envoy met the prime minister at her office in Parliament on Sunday.

Press Secretary to the PM AKM Shameem Chowdhury briefed reporters after the meeting.

“The American ambassador told the prime minister ‘We value your democracy. We are committed to helping you to continue and protect democracy in Bangladesh. We want the continuation of democracy in Bangladesh’,” he said.

Prime Minister Hasina said the government would take all that was necessary to protect democracy, according to Chowdhury.

The new US ambassador lauded Bangladesh’s role in the UN peacekeeping missions.

Bernicat said a ‘true partnership’ existed between Bangladesh and the US, Chowdhury told reporters.

Hasina assured the ambassador of her government’s cooperation.

After the meeting, Bernicat went to see Sunday’s Parliament session.

Earlier, the International Food Policy Research Institute Director General Shenggen Fan met the prime minister at her Parliament office.