DHAKA, Feb 25, 2024 (BSS) – Foreign Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud today said Dhaka and Washington discussed how the two countries could begin “a new chapter” of further strengthen bilateral relations.     

“The core thing is they (the US) want to have a new chapter of tie with Bangladesh .. (vice versa) we also want to start a new chapter of relations with them,” he told reporters after holding meeting with the visiting high level US delegation at the foreign ministry here.     

The foreign minister said the future close and deepen relation will benefit people of both the countries as Dhaka and Washington both showed their willingness in commencing a new chapter of tie.  

Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for South Asia, US National Security Council (NSC) Eileen Laubacher, USAID Assistant Administrator, Bureau for Asia Michael Schiffer and US Department of State Deputy Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asia Afreen Akhter are on a three-day visit here.

During the meeting, Mahmud said, issues related to repatriation of Bangabandhu’s convicted killer Rashed Chowdhury, Rohingya crisis, Gaza genocide, Russia-Ukrain war, security cooperation and climate change were discussed.          

Regarding US sanction on RAB, Mahmud said the US side has given five observations which Bangladesh will follow up so that Washington could withdraw the sanction.

“They communicated the observation to us today. They are going to give the details to RAB … we will start work on those when we get the details,” Mahmud said.    

The foreign minister said, he raised the issue with the US delegation to send back Rashed Chowdhury, one of the convicted killers of Father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman who took shelter in the US.  

In reply, the US side has said that the issue of repatriating Chowdhury is pending with the US Justice Department.

Mahmud said he thanked the US for their continuous pressure on Myanmar to take back displaced Rohingyas from Bangladesh.

“They (the US) agreed with us that repartition of the Rohingyas to Myanmar with all civic rights is the only solution of the crisis,” he said adding that the current situation in Myanmar has posed a security threat for Bangladesh and the region.

Mahmud said he also urged the US to ensure a ceasefire in Gaza pointing that it is not accepted to Dhaka that women and children have been killed there.  

The foreign minister said they also discussed Russia-Ukraine war and the recent meeting between Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Munich.

“We informed them (the US) about our position regarding the meeting with Zelenskyy,” he said.  
Responding a question, the foreign minister said there was no discussion with the US delegation on Bangladesh’s election, human rights situation and labour rights.  
Earlier, after emerging from the meeting in a very short remark Eileen Laubacher said Washington values US-Bangladesh tie.  

"It's a pleasure for us to talk about our shared priorities and ways for us to cooperating together in the future which we very much support to as we value US-Bangladesh relationship," she told reporters.  

Meanwhile, the US embassy in Dhaka on its official facebook page said that the United States supports a prosperous, secure, and democratic Bangladesh.  

"We discussed with the Foreign Minister how our two countries can work on mutual interests, including economic development, security, refugees, climate, labor, and trade," she said.

Bangladesh is an important partner of US in the Indo-Pacific region, said the embassy.
Earlier, the US delegation also held a meeting with Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen at the state guest house Padma in the capital.