DHAKA, April 11, 2023 (BSS) - Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen has held a meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Washington DC while they discussed various issues related to bilateral interest. 

During the meeting held early today (at about 12:30am Bangladesh time), they expressed satisfaction over the bilateral relations of the two countries and stressed strengthening the existing Bangladesh-US ties in the next 50 years based on their relations of the last 50 years.

Terming the Bangladesh-US relations dynamic and multidimensional, Monen hoped that the relations would be strengthened further, according to a message received here today. 

During the meeting, he said, economic partnership strengthening and diversification, Rohingya crisis, climate change, labour rights, freedom of citizens, elections and other bilateral issues were discussed.

The foreign minister informed the US Secretary of State of Bangladesh's labour sector reform and hoped that the US would evaluate these efforts of Bangladesh properly through strong economic partnership.

Blinken expressed satisfaction over the ongoing joint programmes taken to improve labour situation in Bangladesh and asked the US private sector to invest in special economic zones and hi-tech parks of Bangladesh. 

Momen reiterated that the Bangladesh government is committed to holding a free and fair general election.

He requested to the US to extradite Rashed Chowdhury, a self-confessed killer of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, to Bangladesh.

Bangladesh Ambassador in Washington DC Muhammad Imran, Deputy Chief of Mission Ferdousi Shahriar, Director General (North America) Khandaker Masudul Alam and senior officials of Bangladesh Mission in Washington DC and the foreign ministry were present at the meeting.