Diplomatic Correspondent :
The US government stands ready to support its close ally Bangladesh in multifaceted arenas fostering inclusive economic growth, institution building and development to benefit the people of Bangladesh.
The visiting US delegation made these commitments while meeting with Chief Adviser to the Interim Government Prof Muhammad Yunus, Foreign Adviser Md Touhid Hossain and others in different meetings on Sunday.
Expressing US government’s keen interests, the delegation said that they are committed to helping expand economic opportunities, build institutional capacity, uphold human rights, and mitigate climate risks with their partner, Bangladesh.
While briefing the journalists at the State Guest House Padma, Foreign Secretary Md Jashim Uddin revealed that the United States inquired of the Dr Muhammad Yunus-led interim government’s reforms and discussed potential involvement in financial reforms with Dhaka.
“The US wants to work together with the interim government, and as a reflection of this, they sent the delegation at the beginning of the second month of the government’s formation,” he told the journalists in a briefing.
He further stressed that the US government has reiterated its commitment to continue working with the interim government.
“The US has sought information on the interim government’s reforms, and discussions were held on how the US could be involved in financial reforms,” he pinpointed.
Md. Jashim Uddin mentioned that the US has expressed interest in learning about the government’s reform plans.
“In today’s meeting, a general discussion took place regarding the changed circumstances, the government’s reform ideas, and how the US could participate.
The US has assured overall support for the sectors identified for financial reform,” he said.
He noted that discussions focused on potential US cooperation in the financial and revenue sectors, considering the government’s special priorities which included topics like bilateral trade and investment growth.
“The US gained a comprehensive understanding of the changed situation and the government’s intentions.
We hope this serves as a foundation for meaningful engagement with the US, and we may continue these discussions at various stages in the future,” he recounted.
Regarding the meeting between the interim government chief, Dr. Yunus, and the US President during the UN General Assembly in New York, the Foreign Secretary explained that the US President generally does not hold bilateral meetings during the UN sessions.
“As of now, we are aware of this practice. However, if schedules align, there may be other ways for a meeting to take place,” he mentioned.
Led by US Deputy Under Secretary of the Treasury Brent Neiman, the US delegation met with Foreign Affairs Adviser Md. Touhid Hossain and Economic and Trade Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed at the Padma in the morning.
Earlier, the delegation had a courtesy meeting with Dr. Muhammad Yunus, the Chief Adviser of the interim government at the State Guest House Jamuna.
Subsequently, the delegation attended a luncheon with Foreign Secretary Md. Jashim Uddin at the Padma.
The delegation included US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu, as well as Anjali Kaur, Deputy Assistant Administrator of the US Agency for International Development (USAID), and Brendan Lynch, US Assistant Trade Representative.
In response to a question about US assistance in repatriating embezzled funds, the Foreign Secretary said that an annual cooperation agreement has been signed between the Economic Relations Division and USAID.
“They discussed financial sector reforms in detail, and preliminary discussions took place regarding embezzled funds.
The US’s capacity in this area might be utilized, but the discussions have just begun, and it may take some time to finalise a framework,” he added.
When asked whether any specific assistance was requested, Jashim Uddin replied that the discussions were preliminary.
“The delegation will meet with the Governor of Bangladesh Bank this afternoon (Sunday), and specific issues might be addressed in that discussion,” he mentioned.
Regarding labour laws, the Foreign Secretary mentioned that they informed the delegation about the steps taken in this area, and the delegation noted these measures.
“They recognised these as significant progress. The discussion on this matter will continue,” he added.
Regarding whether the US has concerns about the instability in the garment sector and discussions about regaining GSP Plus status, Jashim Uddin said that such topics were not addressed in Sunday’s meeting. There was a general discussion about GSP and its process.
The Foreign Secretary also noted that defense procurement was not discussed in today’s meeting.
However, there was a general discussion about financing from the Development Finance Corporation (DFC), but no specific details were covered.
On the issue of lifting sanctions on the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and US assistance in elections, the Foreign Secretary mentioned that they informed the delegation about the ongoing reforms related to RAB.
“This remains a continuous discussion, and no assistance has been requested for the elections,” he added.
When asked about the Rohingya issue, the Foreign Secretary mentioned that the meeting did include discussions on the Rohingya issue.
“We have emphasised the long-term nature of the issue and the need for its resolution. The US has expressed interest in recent developments related to the Rohingya issue,” he noted.