Dhaka, Washington to discuss Indo-Pacific, military cooperation, rights issues

Staff Reporter :
The ninth annual US-Bangladesh bilateral security dialogue is scheduled to be held in Dhaka on September 5.

This annual dialogue, led by civilian authorities, encompasses various aspects of the security partnership between the two nations.

Representatives from both sides will engage in discussions covering a wide array of topics, including Indo-Pacific regional matters, security and human rights, military collaboration, peacekeeping efforts, security assistance, and counterterrorism efforts, among others.

This dialogue serves as a crucial component of the comprehensive security relationship between the United States and Bangladesh, as stated in a press release from the US Embassy in Bangladesh.

The US delegation will be headed by Deputy Assistant Secretary Mira Resnick from the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs.

This year’s security dialogue closely follows the Bilateral Defense Dialogue, which occurred on August 23-24 in Dhaka.

The Bilateral Defense Dialogue featured the participation of high-ranking officers and civilian officials from both the US and Bangladeshi armed forces.

During this dialogue, they addressed various topics related to the military-to-military relationship, including military education, peacekeeping efforts, and upcoming military exercises, such as next year’s Disaster Response Exercise and Exchange.

UNB adds: The United States and Bangladesh have a strong security partnership and share many interests in the Indo-Pacific region, said the embassy.

Both countries share a vision to ensure the Indo-Pacific region is free, open, peaceful, and secure. ?

“We have a variety of dialogues throughout the year in pursuit of these mutual objectives,” the media note reads.

This year, the security dialogue closely follows the bilateral defense dialogue, which took place August 23 and 24 in Dhaka.

The bilateral defense dialogue featured senior officers and civilians from the US and Bangladeshi militaries.

They discussed a range of issues specific to the military-to-military relationship, including military education, peacekeeping and upcoming military exercises, including next year’s Disaster Response Exercise & Exchange.

Resnick oversees the Bureau’s Office of Regional Security and Arms Transfers, which manages over $40 billion annually in government-to-government defense equipment transfers through Foreign Military Sales, Third Party Transfers, and Excess Defense Articles.

Resnick is also responsible for the Bureau’s Office of Security Assistance, which manages approximately $6.5 billion in US security sector assistance annually; coordinates State Department oversight, planning, and input for over $9 billion in the Defense Department security sector assistance programs; and provides State Department input for Department of Defense planning and military activities.

The security dialogue covers a wide range of issues related to partnership between the two countries including strategic priorities and regional security issues, defense cooperation, civilian security cooperation, UN peacekeeping, counter-terrorism, and countering violent extremism.

Bangladesh is likely to reiterate its call to return Rashed Chowdhury, a convicted killer of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, to Bangladesh to face justice.

The Rohingya issue may also come up for discussion as a threat in the regional and global contexts.

At the 8th Security Dialogue held between the two countries at US Department of State in April last year, the two sides had “constructive discussions” on defence agreements like GSOMIA and ACSA as the US is keen to enhance security cooperation with Bangladesh.

General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) and Acquisition and Cross Servicing Agreement (ACSA) are “essential” to enable a closer defense relationship, expand opportunities for defense trade, information sharing, and military-to-military cooperation between the United States and Bangladesh.

These issues are likely to come up for discussion as follow up, a diplomatic source told UNB.