Trump names seasoned diplomat Brent Christensen as US ambassador to Bangladesh
NN ONLINE:
The Trump administration has finally named its nominee for US ambassador to Bangladesh, choosing a seasoned career diplomat to fill the top post at its Dhaka mission.
Brent Christensen, of Virginia, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Counselor, has been nominated to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, according to an announcement on the White House’s official website dated September 2, 2025.
Christensen’s name was unveiled in a slew of appointments and nominations, that included the nomination of the current State Department spokesperson, Tammy Bruce, as ambassador to the United Nations, and Sergey Gor as ambassador to India.
All three nominations are subject to approval by the Senate.
Christensen has previous experience in Bangladesh, having served as Counselor for Political and Economic Affairs at the US Embassy here from 2019-2021, according to his official profile on the State Department’s website.
Early on in his career, he also served as Bangladesh Country Officer in the Office of Pakistan and Bangladesh Affairs, which no longer exists under that name, at the State Department.
His other appointments include Deputy Director, Office of Regional Security and Arms Transfers, Bureau of Political-Military Affairs at the Department of State (2016-2019), and as a Pearson Fellow on detail to the majority staff of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific (2015-2016).
He has also been Special Assistant to the Special Representative for North Korea Policy, Bureau of East Asia and Pacific Affairs Cyber Coordinator, Deputy Counselor for Economic Affairs at the US Embassy in Manila, Deputy Economic Counselor at the US Embassy in San Salvador, Economic Officer at the US Embassy in Riyadh, and Vice Consul at the US Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
The US Embassy in Dhaka has been running without an ambassador since Peter Haas wrapped up his eventful tenure in the summer of 2024.
Since then, a series of charge de affaires or CDAs have filled the role, with Tracey Ann Jacobson, the current CDA, having been in the position since January.