NSA Khalilur to hold talks in Washington on political transition
Staff Reporter :
National Security Adviser Khalilur Rahman is currently on a five-day official visit to Washington with the aim of holding high-level talks on Bangladesh’s political transition, the upcoming national election and key bilateral issues.
The talks is going to take place such a time when entire global leaders are stunned by the recent arrest incident of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. At the same time, US has changed its visa policy for Bangladeshi citizens.
Diplomatic sources said the visit, which began on Wednesday, comes ahead of the national election scheduled for next month.
Discussions are expected to focus on the election process, the broader political situation and Bangladesh’s democratic transition.
Trade-related issues will also feature in the talks, particularly a review of decisions taken in discussions with the United States on supplementary tariffs.
According to diplomatic sources, Khalilur Rahman is due to arrive in the US capital on the morning of 7 January local time. Several meetings have been scheduled over the following two days, on 8 and 9 January.
Sources at the Bangladesh Embassy in Washington said that, under the draft itinerary, the national security adviser is set to meet Alison Hooker, US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs.
The meeting will also be attended by Paul Kapur, US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, and Sergio Goro, the US Ambassador to India and Special Envoy for South and Central Asia.
In addition, Khalilur Rahman is expected to hold a separate meeting with Brendan Lynch, the US Assistant Trade Representative, focusing on supplementary tariffs and broader trade concerns.
The visit is taking place as the Trump administration has moved to tighten policies on remittances, visas and travel.
Like several other countries, Bangladesh views these measures as creating fresh pressure on bilateral relations.
Diplomatic sources from both countries said that US Ambassador-designate to Bangladesh Brent Christensen is scheduled to take the oath of office at the US State Department on 9 January.
The oath will be administered by either US Secretary of State Marco Rubio or Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Langdahl. Khalilur Rahman may attend the ceremony.
The new US ambassador to Bangladesh is expected to arrive in Dhaka on 12 January.