Foreign Minister Dr. Khalilur Rahman has said Bangladesh’s relations with the United States are moving in a “very positive direction” as the two countries seek to further deepen cooperation in trade, investment, energy, migration and regional issues.
“Our bilateral relationship is now moving in a very positive direction and we expect it to progress further in the coming days,” he told journalists after a meeting with visiting U.S. President’s Special Envoy for South and Central Asia Ambassador Sergio Gor at the state guest house Padma in the capital.
Prime Minister’s Adviser on Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir also attended the meeting held at the foreign ministry.
The foreign minister said the discussions reflected the growing momentum in Bangladesh-U.S. relations and focused on ways to further strengthen the longstanding partnership.
“We had a very productive discussion. Bangladesh and the United States currently enjoy an excellent bilateral relationship, and we discussed how to take it forward,” he said.
Referring to his recent engagements with senior U.S. officials in Manila, Rahman said he had met Ambassador Gor earlier on the sidelines of the ASEAN meetings and also held talks with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
He said today’s meeting covered a broad range of bilateral issues, including trade, investment, energy cooperation and migration.
“Given the nature of the meeting, we discussed these issues in broad terms rather than in detail,” he said.
The foreign minister said no discussion took place regarding Bangladesh’s relations with China or India, adding that he saw no indication of U.S. concern on those issues.
On energy cooperation, Rahman said Bangladesh and the United States already have an energy memorandum of understanding, while Dhaka continues to seek cooperation from various countries to address its energy needs.
Replying to a question on Bangladesh’s aviation sector, he said the government had informed the U.S. side that, besides Biman Bangladesh Airlines’ fleet expansion programme, a Bangladeshi private airline had recently placed a significant order for Boeing aircraft, reflecting the country’s growing aviation industry.
On the Rohingya crisis, the foreign minister said the United States remains Bangladesh’s largest humanitarian partner, providing more than half of the international assistance for the displaced Myanmar nationals sheltered in Bangladesh.
He said both sides discussed maintaining international pressure on Myanmar and expressed hope that continued U.S. support would contribute to efforts for a sustainable solution to the crisis.
Rahman also dismissed reports suggesting that the United States had proposed a humanitarian corridor into Myanmar.
“No such proposal was made. There was no discussion from the U.S. side regarding any humanitarian corridor,” he said.
Responding to a question on U.S. tariffs, the foreign minister said Bangladesh had been placed in the 10 percent tariff category following the completion of investigations under Section 301 of the U.S. Trade Act, while some countries were subjected to higher rates.
He said Bangladesh had also secured an important concession under a tariff quota arrangement that would provide greater market access for garments manufactured using American cotton or U.S.-made man-made fibres.
“That is a significant achievement which has received little attention,” he said.
The foreign minister said Bangladesh had also continued discussions with the United States on the withdrawal of sanctions imposed on the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), describing the matter as an ongoing process.
Rahman said the meeting also included discussions on his forthcoming assumption of office as President of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on September 8.
He said it was natural for the United States, as one of the principal architects of the United Nations, to maintain close engagement with the incoming President of the General Assembly.
Asked about emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, Rahman said the global landscape was evolving rapidly, with competing technological systems taking shape, and discussions on such issues would continue as international positions become clearer.
