Staff Reporter :
The State Department announced that Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu will be visiting Bangladesh to discuss U.S.-Bangladesh cooperation, including initiatives on climate change and enhancing economic ties.
According to the State Department’s website, Lu’s trip to India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh is scheduled for May 10—15.
The statement emphasized that Lu’s visit aims to “strengthen bilateral cooperation with each country and demonstrate U.S. support for a free, open, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region.” In Dhaka, Lu plans to meet with government officials, civil society leaders, and other stakeholders to discuss various cooperation topics.
Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud of Bangladesh earlier mentioned that Lu’s visit would also include a trip to the Rohingya camps and cover other aspects of bilateral cooperation.
During a State Department press briefing, Spokesperson Mathew Miller addressed a recent incident where two Bangladeshi citizens were shot by the Indian Border Security Forces (BSF).
He stated, “We are aware of the reports about this incident. We understand that the Indian and Bangladeshi border security agencies are communicating with one another.” Miller deferred further comment to the ongoing investigations by the respective countries.
The shooting incident coincided with the visit of Indian Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra to Dhaka for discussions on various bilateral issues, including an invitation to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to visit Delhi after India’s Lok Sabha election.
Post-discussion, Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud relayed, “We have emphasized not to use lethal weapons. Mr. Kwatra informed us that India has instructed their border security force accordingly.
There is no lack of sincerity between the two countries at governmental and political levels regarding this.”
In the same briefing, a journalist questioned the U.S. visa policy for Bangladeshis following alleged democratic irregularities in local elections. Miller responded, “I don’t have any updates to announce.
We obviously made that policy public. At times we make designations under that policy public; at times we keep them private. I don’t have anything to announce today.”