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Published : 01 May 2015, 04:20 PM
Wendy Sherman, under secretary of state for political affairs, said Ambassador Marcia Bernicat would deliver the ship to the Bangladesh Naval chief Vice Admiral M Farid Habib at a ceremony in California.
She was briefing the press after the fourth partnership dialogue in Dhaka on Friday jointly with her Bangladesh counterpart Foreign Secretary Md Shahidul Haque at the State Guest House Meghna.
Sherman said, as the largest contributor to UN peacekeeping operations, Bangladesh had already become “a force for global peace and security”.
“And by improving its naval capabilities, Bangladesh will become a key maritime security provider in the Bay of Bengal”.
She said they had discussed a wide range of issues in the partnership dialogue to make relations stronger. The discussion has been broadened with the inclusion of new areas including “blue maritime economy”.
“We’re also increasing our security cooperation,” she said, announcing that the US would give two coast guard island-class patrol boats to Bangladesh shortly.
The US offers ships to Bangladesh under an Excess Defense Articles (EDA) through a Foreign Military Sales (FMS) programme.
The US, in 2013, transferred its Coast Guard Cutter Jarvis which was renamed in Bangladesh as ‘BNS Somudro Joy’, the biggest ship of the Bangladesh navy.
The new United States Coast Guard Ship (USCGS) Rush will complement Somudra Joy.
Rush is equipped with a helicopter flight deck, retractable hangar, and facilities to support helicopter deployment. It is powered by a combined diesel and gas engine system, the US embassy earlier said when the discussion of the second ship transfer was in progress.
It is the fifth Coast Guard Cutter to be named after the eighth Secretary of the Treasury - Richard Rush. It is also the ninth of the Hamilton Class High Endurance Cutters.
It was launched on Nov 16, 1968 at New Orleans at an approximate cost of $20 million. Rush’s operational duties have varied considerably since its delivery.
It was involved in the early 1970’s in operations off the coast of Vietnam.
The BNS Somudro Joy, on its voyage from California to Chittagong, had delivered 40 tons of aid to the victims of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines.
The under secretary also applauded Bangladesh’s efforts to play “a catalysing role in the region”, including through recent agreements to increase trade and connectivity with its neighbours.
“We are eager to work with you to help raise incomes and livelihoods in Bangladesh by connecting the growing economies of South and Southeast Asia,” she said.
She also said that Bangladesh had “near-unlimited potential to transform both itself and its region”.
“… and we are excited to be your strong partner in reaching that potential”.
Bangladesh’s foreign secretary said the partnership dialogue was “constructive, and forward looking”.
He said the relations between the countries were “deep, broad and very engaged”.
US Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia Nisha Desai Biswal, US Ambassador in Dhaka Marcia Bernicat, and senior officials of the Bangladesh foreign ministry were present at the briefing, among others.
