Washington DC, 25 October 2022 (TDI): Counselor of the US Department of State, Derek Chollet met with Muhammad Imran, Ambassador of Bangladesh.
Both the officials discussed US support for the Rohingyas. The meeting also entailed a discussion regarding upcoming elections in Bangladesh.
Counselor Chollet appreciated Bangladesh’s efforts in supporting and hosting Rohingyas. Moreover, he also highlighted the country’s endeavor to advance long-term solutions to the humanitarian crisis in the region.
Rohingya crisis
Rohingya is a Muslim ethnic minority group in Myanmar. In 2017 violence broke out against the Rohingyas as Myanmar’s Rakhine State forced hundreds of thousands of Rohingya people to flee.
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They took refuge in neighboring states, particularly Bangladesh. Since then, Bangladesh has been hosting around one million refugees and providing them with support and humanitarian assistance.
Their policy in this regard has been acknowledged by the world and especially the US, who assists to host state and the refugees to curb the crisis.
US-Bangladesh Relations
The diplomatic relations between the US and Bangladesh were established in 1972, this year 2022 marks the 50th anniversary of their bilateral relationship.
The economic, bilateral, commercial, and security collaborations between both states are deepened through multilateral engagements.
Bangladesh’s economy over the past 50 years has expanded from an agricultural economy to a fast-growing participant with potential in the global supply chain.
The openness of the country to the US private sector benefits both states. The US has invested over $8 billion in the country as it is the largest recipient of US assistance in Asia.
The US has also appreciated the country for hosting nearly a million Rohingya refugees. The US is the largest donor to the Rohingyas refugees to provide humanitarian assistance to the refugees and host state.
During the Corona pandemic, both countries have closely cooperated to fight the pandemic. Bangladesh has been receiving Covid vaccines from the US through COVAX (COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access).
Both countries are part of the same international organizational structure. They both are a part of the United Nations, the ASEAN Regional Forum, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, & the World Trade Organization.
